No Petals Fall
by NobleBrokenBeauty
Summary: After the death of her father, Mai must pay off debts by working at the Shibuya Manor. There's more to the surly master of house than she expects... and a horror story she wished she never heard. AU, loosely based on "Beauty and the Beast."
1. Prologue

**A/N: Just the prologue, so it's short. This story is AU, and inspired by "Beauty and the Beast." Don't expect the perfect fairytale, though. I hope you enjoy!**

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Prologue: Goodbyes

_To the Taniyama residence:_

_It is to our dismay that we are to inform you that Arata Taniyama, a previous servant at the Shibuya Mansion, has recently passed away. We share our deep regret and sorrow with your family. However, the Taniyama family still is in large debt to the Shibuyas and we ask for another servant to replace him and continue to repay the debts held._

_Shibuya_

Mai Taniyama read over the brief, insulting, and life-shattering letter over and over again, hoping to find some lie about it, hoping to see through it as a joke that should have never been played. She let herself fall into one of the wooden chairs at her shabby dinner table, the dozens and dozens of nights spent alone at this very table rushing back to greet her.

The letter fluttered onto the table and was slowly made unreadable by tears the dotting note, running the ink everywhere. So many days she had spent waiting around in this wretched little shack she had managed to find, wondering when her father would come home again. She remembered his face from when she last saw him, even though it had been nearly four years. She remembered her mother much less, only catching glimpses of her funeral in her mind's eye.

But now she had no one else to turn to. Whatever she owned now would be automatically given to the master of the Shibuya mansion whether she liked it or not to pay their withstanding debts. However, Mai knew there would still be a remainder, and now she was the only Taniyama left to pay the debt.

She sat at the small table for the next hour, debating her fate. Living in a mansion as a servant wasn't as bad as having her house and land and belongings taken away and having nowhere else to live. She would at least be warm and well-fed… she hoped.

As if urging her on, her empty stomach groaned. She had learned to ignore the persistent hunger pains. The money on hand was too short for any extra food in the house. What she bought she ate immediately and didn't save any leftovers, even if she ever was too full from a meal. That had not happened yet.

Mai rose from the breaking chair and found a large carpetbag to hold all of her belongings. She may not have had much, but she intended to keep all that she could.

She pulled down pictures from the dusty shelves and tugged holey sweaters from her barren closet. She peeled the shabby, faded blanket from her cot in the corner of the room, made by her mother so many years before. She yanked on her too-small boots. Winter was nearing and if she wanted to make it to Shibuya Mansion unfrozen, she would need to layer everything she had.

On top of everything, she tucked the somewhat damp letter in her bag. Looking around, her home looked so bare and unwelcoming. Dust still gathered in the corners and she could barely see through the dirty windows, but she could still… well, she used to be able to call it home.

Nearly four years previously, her father had gone off to earn money, but with one investment too many and too much money borrowed from the Shibuya family… they were in lifelong debt. Mai had seen her father once after that, and now he was gone forever.

"Damn you, Shibuya," Mai growled under her breath. "I swear, when I get to your godforsaken house, you're going to hear a piece of my mind."

She wondered what he was like. In her father's letters home, he had said nothing really about the conditions he was living in or who he was working with or for. She imagined Shibuya as an old, crabby man, lording things over his servants and demanding things on minor whims. She could see him now. Graying hair, round belly, and dark bloodshot eyes. Mai shuddered.

It's what she would be living with for possibly the rest of her life.

Mai swung her bag over her shoulder and gave a last look around. Nothing was left for her here anymore. She reached the door in three easy steps, took a hold of the icy handle, and flung open the door. She walked straight out into the misty, foggy air, not even bothering to look behind her.

"I hate goodbyes."

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**A/N: Please review and tell me what you thought!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews left on the last chapter! It really means a lot. I sadly don't own Ghost Hunt. I hope you enjoy this next chapter of "No Petals Fall."**

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Chapter 1: The Lone Blossom

Tramping on the frosty roads for a near three hours made Mai almost want to turn straight back and never hear the name 'Shibuya' again. Her feet were swollen in the small boots and felt like ice cubes attached to her legs. Groaning out loud for what seemed to be the tenth time that hour, Mai wondered whether it was really worth walking to the manors just to be stuck there for the rest of her life. She knew she had to pay off the debts and she knew there was nothing left for her if she decided to turn around…

…but something still seemed missing. The wind whistled in her ears and blew her short, choppy hair around her face, the wintry air biting her cheeks and stinging her nose. She sighed heavily, crossing her arms across her chest to muster warmth.

_Only an hour more… I hope._

A dash of color among the now-dead hills caught her eye. A single pink flower fluttered in the strong breeze, its stem twisting every which way, threatening to rip from the ground. However the tiny flower stood strong and stayed rooted into the frosty soil. As Mai looked closer at this supposedly insignificant miracle, she noticed hundreds of dead flowers surrounded it, all taken out by the early winter season.

At the top of the small hill the flowers were on was a crop of weeds, snaking their way downwards. Dark, tangled, and sure to cause any standing flower death, the weeds thrived even in the light of the weather.

Mai moved on, thinking to herself, 'What am I doing, standing here, staring at a bunch of dead flowers?'

She trudged forward, but could not help but look back to the lone blossom in the wind. It thrashed around but did not let itself be torn down. Mai smiled slightly, feeling a warm rush come over her.

The overcast sky glared down on her. The clouds in the distance nearly blocked out the gloomy mansion she was headed for. Mai figured that when it had been first built it had been glorious standing behind the forest and winding, wide, frozen river where it had been so precariously placed. But as time had crept on, the manor seemed to have lost its luster and radiance.

Didn't Shibuya care about his house at all? If he showed with much care for the outside, Mai was even less eager to find out how she'd be treated. Shibuya was a heartless jerk; she could just feel it in her gut. Stomping her feet harder into the firmly packed dirt, she took out her anger on the ground below her.

The forest came upon her quickly. The trees dark green branches towered over her, threatening to drip icy water down her back from their limbs. The sky grew harder and harder to see as the cover of the trees grew denser. A chill skittered down Mai's spine, making her snap her head around anxiously.

The leaves rustled in the wind and a hissing voice echoed all around her.

_Once upon a time, in a faraway land_

_A young man lived in a gorgeous manor_

_Along with his family, friends, and servants_

_This man was wealthy, but cold and arrogant_

Mai snapped out of her trance, shaking the voice out of her consciousness. What had that been? That voice like a squeal of helium and the paralyzing feeling that came with it. She sped up her steps, briskly making her way through the thick forest. But before she knew it, she had stopped in her tracks again, hearing the voice continue on.

_…taken out of his element_

_The young man was enraged_

_And his anger grew when…_

Slightly confused, Mai felt she had missed something. Questions sprinted through her mind and she didn't have the time to catch up and make sense of them all. But now… now she wanted to hear more. She looked around the forest. No one. Mai gripped her bag with two hands, holding it in front of her stomach and listened hard.

_…for how could he ever learn to love_

_When all had been taken away?_

Yeah, that made _perfect_ sense, Mai thought sarcastically. Either she had missed all of it, or it was never supposed to make any sense in the first place. Mai exhaled sharply, finding the dirt path that finally led out of the forest. She pushed the creepy voice and supposed epic poem to the back of her mind. She had bigger things to worry about right now.

The dirt path led the way to what seemed to be a freshly laid grey brick path. Only looking at her feet and her mud-caked boots as she walked on, she didn't notice the manor grow ever closer. Mai didn't notice until she slammed headfirst into rusted gate. She placed a hand on the icy steel, shaking the gates. The tarnished lock and chain slid off within seconds.

Goosebumps rippled across her arms and the back of her neck. Mai made her way inside, greeted by a thicker fog and even more foreboding feelings. The front courtyard itself was enough to turn anyone away at once single glance.

The grass was overgrown, statues laying pieces, and everything was just a mess. The cobblestone walkway was missing pieces in every step Mai took. She looked up at the dismal mansion, her future matching its bleakness. Slowly, she made her way across the courtyard and up to the large wooden doors, ornately carved with patterns she stared at with a slack jaw.

Mai shook herself out of her daydreams and forced her mind back into reality.

She pressed her carpetbag to her stomach with one arm and slowly she raised another to knock on the door three times. Surprised when her voice barely came out above a mumble, she said, "Hello? My name is Mai Taniyama… I'm here in the place of my father. I'm here to work to repay the debts."

The door creaked open slightly and Mai could have sworn she heard someone say, "No kidding! It's a girl… his age! Do you really think—?"

The voice was muffled and another voice spoke out loud. This voice she could clearly hear and it said, "Come inside, Taniyama, don't stand out in the cold like an idiot."

Scowling slightly, Mai stomped inside and looked around for the location of the voices – the two people, a man and a woman, she had heard. Her breath caught in her throat when she looked around the giant entryway and saw one very simple thing.

No one was there.

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**A/N: I again apologize for the shortness of this chapter. But please review if you all would be so kind. Constructive criticism and compliments are both welcome. Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow. I'm left in shock. Thank you all so much for all the great reviews left on that last chapter! I really appreciate it. Chapter three, coming at you!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ghost Hunt, volume 10 and 11 would already be out in North America, and Naru would have stopped being an arse. But that's why we love him, yeah?**

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Chapter 2: Introductions

"She's a smart one, this girl," the male laughed. The woman sighed, irritated.

"You really think she's going to be able to find us, you idiot? We're barely half a meter tall!"

Mai was now hesitant to enter, clutching the bag tightly to her chest. The breeze still ticked the back of her neck as if urging her to move farther inside. She refused to walk another step. "If… if I've got the wrong place, I'll just leave…" Mai stepped back, ready to face the slap of icy wind again, but both the man and woman cried out at once, their voices earnest.

"No!"

Mai was sure she was hallucinating.

After staring at the moving objects for a good thirty seconds, she felt the heat of the small three candles nearing her leg, bouncing obliviously along. The feather duster followed the candelabra. She stumbled backwards, dropping her bag on the floor.

"I'm dreaming," she gasped to herself. "I'm totally, totally…"

"Not dreaming," the feather duster said, a woman's voice echoing from its direction.

"We wish we were, too," the candelabra mumbled. The feather duster shuffled forward, and in her mind's eye, Mai could have sworn she saw the outline of a woman's face. She blinked quickly, but the image seemed to hover before the duster. As she looked back at the candelabra, Mai saw the image outlining the middle candle of the three. The man's face looked back at her with a gleam of wanted freedom in his eyes.

Was it hallucinations… or the truth?

"I'm Ayako Matsuzaki. This idiot here is Houshou Takigawa. You _are _the daughter of Arata Taniyama-san, correct?"

Mai nodded, still in awe. Things were happening much too quickly for her to understand. First off, a feather duster and a small candelabra were _talking to her._ That alone was enough to make her mind spin on end. Was someone moving them from above? Maybe they were mechanical. Or had she just tripped down a crevice on her way here and was just having delusions?

"Good luck with the master," Takigawa snorted sarcastically, derailing her train of thought.

"You're never helpful, are you?" Ayako snapped, bristling past him up to Mai's legs. "Come on, _Shibuya-san_ will want to know you're here." Her voice pinched while speaking his name.

Mai couldn't help but notice that both Takigawa and Ayako had feelings of distaste for the master of the house, Shibuya. Her intuition had been more correct than she thought.

Hastily skidding along behind the other two… objects, Mai looked up at the dark ceilings, musty portraits, and narrow, never-ending hallways. She felt so closed in, so trapped. Takigawa seemed to be the only light given off anywhere around her.

Who knew her life could take such a turn for the worse in one single day. First, the news of her father's death. Second, her new home compared equal to a prison. What was next? A cold and antisocial overseer?

"Takigawa-san? Matsuzaki-san? Is that you?"

A deep voice reached her ears from one of the doors off to the side. From the voice, Mai expected a tall, brooding man. Was this Shibuya already? Mai peeked forward, scanning the shadows, but couldn't see the outline of a man anywhere near.

No, it wasn't Shibuya. As the owner of the voice emerged to where Mai could see him, surprise stirred in her stomach. Her ears had been incredibly misled.

What she saw was a tiny clock.

"Lin-san!"

Takigawa rushed forward, pulling the small grandfather clock with him. Again, like Ayako and Takigawa, Mai still felt she could just barely see a face adorning the front of the clock. This man looked utterly indifferent with dark, piercing eyes and face set in an angry glare. Mai almost immediately

"This is Mai Taniyama-san, the daughter of Arata-san. Mai-san, this is Koujo Lin. He's the one who orders us around and keeps us all in line… most of the time," Takigawa held back a laugh. Mai blinked. Wow. Her guess had been more correct than she thought. Lin really was the overseer, head servant, manager… whatever he was called. And he didn't seen all too friendly, either.

"Wait," Mai piped up, "there's more of you?"

"Of course. You don't think the three of us could run this manor _and _deal with the master at the same time, do you?" Ayako threw in. Mai bit her lip and shook her head.

"So how many of you are there?" This wasn't the question she was honestly interested in. The answer she really wanted to figure out was if they were all… not human. Object-like. Supposedly inanimate. How could she possibly explain what was happening?

They ignored her and continued to pretend she had temporarily disappeared. Mai crossed her arms and huffed. Nothing was more insulting than being disregarded by three household items.

"He _will_ want to know she's here," Lin intoned, trying to turn back around.

Takigawa caught him by the arm… or, she guessed, what was supposed to be his arm. "You're not going to let her find him on her own, are you? She'd get eaten alive. And no one ever knows where he is in this place except for you, Lin-san. So you're going to help us," Takigawa said with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Taniyama-san must be given her room first. Shibuya-san's orders. He'll come get her when he knows she's here. There's no need for me to find him," Lin replied stiffly. The smirk was yanked from Takigawa's expression. Mai scooted forward in the hall, ready leave the other three and find her room, until Lin spoke up again.

"I am, however, supposed to take her to her room. This way, Taniyama-san," Lin called out, disappearing back into the hallway he had emerged from. Mai bit her lip, unsure whether or not she really wanted to follow the standoffish clock.

"Go on ahead. Lin's not that scary… most of the time," the candelabra said half-heartedly and nudged her forward.

Mai winced, finding Takigawa's words much less than comforting. "I'll see you around?" Mai asked Takigawa and Ayako eagerly before she set off with Lin. Both responded with a yes and Mai turned on her heel to run down the dark hallway to catch up.

She had no idea a miniature clock could walk so quickly. In the two minutes she had spent talking to Ayako and Takigawa, Lin had made it so far down the corridor, for a split second Mai thought that he wasn't there at all. As she sped down the carpeted hallway, kicking up dust, she continued to notice the gloom of this manor. Cobwebs adorned the walls more than pictures and objects seemed to creak with every rushed step she took.

What exactly was this place?

"Taniyama-san, I think getting lost in this house is not the best way to start off working here. You never know what you'll run into," Lin called brusquely. Again, her thoughts were lost to more scolding. Mai approached him warily, still taking in her surroundings.

"Sorry. But this place is just…" Mai trailed off, pressing her fingers again a cold stained glass window. Dirt stuck to her fingers as she pulled her hand away, revealing a bright red piece of translucent glass behind the layer of grime. Surprised, she brushed her fingers against her sleeve and continued to discover the hidden mosaic.

"It is spectacular, if you're new to it. But if you're trapped…" Lin's deep voice seemed to echo through the hallways after he cut himself off suddenly. Not before Mai realized the intensity of his words, however.

"Trapped?" Mai turned from the window, filth lining the woolen sleeve of her maroon sweater in finger-printed marks. "What do you mean 'trapped'?"

A look of surprise and slight anxiety took a flighty leap across his features. Mai looked on with concern, taking the final steps to the clock. He again returned solemn before she could kneel down to him.

"I never said anything."

Without even hearing her protests, he shuffled forward and shoved open a door. Mai trudged forward through the entryway, but all complaints stopped at her lips, frozen in awe. Her jaw unhinged and her bag landed with a resounding _thunk_ on the plush carpet.

_This_ was her _room_?

It was three times bigger than her old house.

The gorgeously decorated four-poster bed was adorned with deep purple silk sheets and mahogany posts. With one look, she just wanted to fall asleep on the embroidered pillows. The gold thread sparkled ever so slightly in the moonlight, casting in from the open windows. The breeze ticked her cheeks. Two dressers stood on either side of the bed up against the wall, their white paint and brass handles gleaming in the dark. She was getting ready to turn to the other side of the room when a new airy voice spoke up.

"This is her, Lin-san? This is his daughter?"

Mai stopped in her tracks, ripping her eyes away from the crystal chandelier hung up from the high, arching ceiling. Lin spoke to the voice before Mai could.

"It is."

The voice chuckled softly, cutting Mai off again. "She has his eyes."

Mai was stuck, glued to the floor, listening to the conversation. She had clamped her jaw shut when she had figured it out. They were talking about her father. They had known him. They had worked with him. They were her one connection back to him. Her one and only bond to her family lay within this manor.

She suddenly felt more at home than ever, but at the same time, felt so alone.

"Taniyama-san, please make yourself comfortable. I must go and retrieve—"

"Oh, she's here! She could, she really could! Takigawa-san was right!" a boy called out joyfully

"This is wonderful!" Next, a woman's voice loud and uplifting.

"I think she's confused."

The last voice, a young man's, chortled softly and Mai let out a heavy sigh. Even with only the first voice, she still had not managed to find its location and now adding three more seemed to prove too overwhelming.

"Eh?" she only managed out, swiveling around in every direction to finally distinguish what was going on, where the voices were coming from, and why she couldn't see anyone. She gasped. Unless…

Maybe she just had to adjust her viewpoint. Remembering slowly how small Ayako and Takigawa were, she bent to her knees – and saw them. Yes, maybe it was only two of them, but a rush of pride spread through her chest. The teacup and teapot bounded up to her, both with gleeful force.

"Mai Taniyama-chan? Is this really the pretty little girl Arata-san told us about, always ranting and raving?" the teapot complimented joyfully. Mai smiled slightly, biting her lip, and nodded. She allowed herself to fall onto the ground, tucking her knees underneath her slightly. Her feet still ached in her boots.

"Mori-san, please calm down," the little teacup said softly, peacefully. "Welcome to Shibuya manor, Taniyama-san."

"Thank you… ah…?" Mai was at a loss for words.

"I am John Brown," the teacup said. Mai nodded, smiling, and out of politeness turned to the teapot.

"Madoka Mori, at your service," she chirped. "And Yasuhara-kun and Masako-chan are here somewhere…"

"We've always been here, Madoka. Always," the boy sighed. The bookshelf shifted and Mai cast her gaze over to the other side of her bed. She had mistaken the bookshelf for a second dresser. But this time, when she saw the young man's face, happy, slightly cocky, with glasses placed over his eyes, she could not help but wince.

Was every moving object in this house going to give her the impression that a human face was in front of it? Maybe for Ayako and Takigawa it was surprising and interesting, but now that feeling just gave her the creeps.

"Yes. I have always been here, as well, Mori-san, even if we have all been forgotten time and time again." The girl spoke this time and Mai could finally place the voice. Coming from the dresser, the girl had a penetrating violet stare and short dark locks.

"It may not be too long now," John offered, his blonde hair shifting in front of his bright, naïve blue eyes. "Now that…"

"_No_, Brown-san. You know that. _His_ orders."

Mai jumped. She had forgotten Lin still lingered in the room, his eyes ablaze with concern, anger, and reprimanding. The teacup fell instantly silent. The tension in the room was too high for Mai to question their words. She rubbed her sweating palms on her pants and said the next thing that came to her mind.

"Is everyone like this in the house? Are you all… objects?" Mai, now too late, felt she couldn't have put it less blunt. They shifted restlessly around her, each one unwilling to supply an answer. The tiny teacup finally spoke with mustering cheer. Difficult cheer, but cheer nonetheless.

"Only one of us is currently… human. He's…"

The double doors blew open suddenly, taking them all aback. Mai leapt up. She saw in the doorway the outline of a young man, shaggy dark hair obscuring his evidently angered eyes. The rest of the servants cowered or turned away from the noise. John was the only one to speak again.

"Shibuya-san!"

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**A/N: Finally, a somewhat decently-lengthed chapter! You have no idea how hard it is to describe the expressions of inanimate objects with no faces. Please review and tell me what you thought!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow, thank you all again so much for your reviews. Every single one made my day. And this chapter came out faster than I had expected because I was inspired… I now own Ghost Hunt, Vol. 10. Yup, y'all heard me right. Of course, it's in Japanese, so I don't understand it, but… still. :)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ghost Hunt, the English DVDs would be out already, and Madoka and Lin would have already been married.**

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_Is this home?  
Is this what I must learn to believe in?  
Try to find  
Something good in this tragic place  
Just in case  
I should stay here forever_

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Chapter 3: Home

There was absolutely no way _this _was the master of the house. For one, he seemed barely any older than she. His pale, heavily enraged, but handsome face kept her captivated. His raven hair matched his dark suit, which shrouded him even more in shadows. His figure towered over her, casting a wave of tension throughout the room. Everyone had gone silent.

The feature Mai noticed most were his eyes.

They were so cold. Colder than her walk here, more emotionless than she could have ever imagined. They bore straight into her soul, instantly eating away at her from the inside out. His eyes did not sparkle nor gleam, even with the moonlight reflected from the open windows. They merely shone a raw, unobtainable blue. Blank as a clean sheet of paper, harsh as nails across a chalkboard. Mai tried time and time again to rip their locked gaze away, but found she couldn't.

Why had her heart started pounding so?

"Are you just going to stand there? Didn't your father ever teach you it's rude to stare?" At his cynical tone and evident unkindness, Mai felt her nails dig deeply into her palms, her face steaming. The pain seemed to take away from his snappish behavior. She strained herself into a sharp bow.

"I-I…" She couldn't even bring herself to apologize. Why would she? "I'm Mai Taniyama. I've come to repay my family's debt."

"I know. I _was_ the one who wrote your letter. And you're late, as well."

Mai's expression turned from rapt to offended within a matter of seconds. "I'm _late?_" she ground out, her words drenched with acidic fury. He seemed to not notice the blunt ax of his manners hacking away all of the comfort this new home and the servants within had posed for her.

"Yes, you're late. Was I talking too fast for you?" Shibuya's words were cut syllable by syllable, perfect diction coinciding with an even tone and quick wit.

Mai bit her tongue, feeling the rush of metallic, bittersweet tang bring her senses back. Her mind revved with indignant thoughts and emotions, each more vile than the last. This jerk… this conceited, overbearing, disrespectful…

"If you have nothing else to say, I suppose I must introduce myself. I am Kazuya Shibuya, master of Shibuya Manor. Taniyama-san, I see you have already met the… servants you will be working alongside."

Mai noted the small dip in his voice when he had mentioned his employees. He turned away from her, inadvertently giving her the perfect view of his stony profile. A glint of silver caught her eye, tucked away and nearly hidden in the inside pocket of his coat. Her eyes followed the sharp flash of light until his back was completely turned to her.

Mai grumbled under her breath. Her curiosity too much to restrain, she followed Shibuya eagerly out the room. She was going to figure out what he had in his pocket whether he liked it or not.

"So, um… what'll I do around here?"

"You'll do what I tell you to."

Mai froze in her tracks, rolling her eyes. So there was a 'Mr. Obvious' side to him, too. He continued to march – almost glide – easily down the carpeted, albeit dingy, hallways. She stared after him blankly for a few moments, refusing the pout to appear on her face, then hastily scurried after the master of the manor.

Mai shuddered at that title. How could this _boy_ possibly be her boss? Sure, he _seemed_ smart, he _seemed_ composed, but wasn't this what masks were for? To impose a superior ranking?

"Care to specify?" she spoke out again, letting her tone show _some _irritation she had hidden since the letter had arrived at her doorstep less than a day ago. Again, Mai felt an icy shiver douse her back. It seemed so much longer than a day. A week, a month even, if that was possible. But she knew it wasn't true.

"If you need the direct details of your job, I suggest you ask Lin. He will be more helpful than I."

Mai scowled. Shibuya was one thing… Lin was another. She wasn't too sure if the clock really needed her to be asking questions every moment of the next however-many-years she spent here. She ran a hand though her knotted hair, finger-combing out the smaller tangles nervously. The fact that this was her new home hit her with full force again. Why—?

"If you insist on knowing, you will be doing many of the smaller jobs around this manor. The jobs that my current servants had not been able to do, due to their… common position. Cleaning up, making tea, helping me with daily chores… that is what your job will consist of, and maybe more."

His words evidently meant, 'You'll do that stuff I don't feel like doing and chores no one else can do because they're not human.'

"That's it?" Mai was unable to keep her thoughts from spilling out of her mouth. A smirk crossed the master's features, making Mai regret her words. The coppery flavor in her mouth again reminded her she had to keep quiet and mind her words. Inwardly, she scoffed at herself. _Like that was ever going to happen._

"If you wish to include cleaning the windows—" he surveyed her diminutive form, than looked somewhat subtly up at the twenty foot windows placed along the hall, scowl mixing with the smirk ever so slightly "—and the endless rooms, be my guest."

Again he turned his back to her, but his slender arm rose to the inside of his coat. The silver spark she had seen! A flush of excitement burst forward in her chest as she craned her neck to see what it had been. As if expecting her to try and look, Shibuya turned father away from Mai and muttered something incomprehensible.

The silver flashed again. Mai rose on her tiptoes, desperately trying in vain to see what he held in his hands and what he wanted so critically to hide from her (prying) eyes. Mai leaned farther and farther forward, but Shibuya seemed to realize what she was doing kept turning the silver object away.

Mai leaned forward too far. With a high-pitched squeak and a _thump_ as she landed on the dust-collector that could barely be called a carpet anymore, Shibuya finally turned back and peered down at her with what looked like a mirror clasped in his hands.

"If you wanted to see what I was holding, all you had to do was ask." She heard the smirk hidden, but obviously supposed to be heard, in his voice.

"Can I see it then? _Please_?" She managed to keep her voice barely above a growl.

"Yes, you can."

Shibuya continued to walk forward along the bleak hallways, making Mai blow up again.

"_May_ I see the _mirror_? Please? Now?" Mai felt her heart surge angrily into her throat, beating heavily, but Shibuya gently placed the mirror into her hands.

"Don't break it," he said simply. Mai rolled her eyes. What she wouldn't give to make this guy suffer seven years of bad luck…

"I won't break it," she sighed resignedly, but as she looked down into it, she gasped.

There was no reflection.

"What the—? Is this some kind of trick?" Mai spluttered, shoving herself off the ground and waving the mirror in his emotionless face. Shibuya shook his head, raven hair falling in front of frozen cerulean eyes.

"Maybe it just thought you were too ugly to show up in the mirror. It shows my reflection perfectly."

He plucked the mirror from her hands and showed her. Yes, there his face was. Mai had a hard time choosing which of the two obnoxious faces she wanted to smack.

"You keep a mirror that you can only see yourself in?" Mai mocked him suddenly, thinking words were easier than violence, but that thought was getting harder and harder to prove. He merely raised one eyebrow, silencing her.

"Of course." His sly voice made Mai's emotions flare. Oh, cocky as well? This guy just had it all. Smarts, looks, attitude… and the money that let him act this way, and let him act any way he desired.

"And you carry it around with you?" Mai continued tentatively. Maybe he was just insane… or utterly infatuated with himself. She wasn't ruling out that possibility.

"Certainly. I don't want anyone stealing it," he sneered, tucking it back into his inside coat pocket. Mai snorted, crossing her arms and rocking back and forth, from heel to toe.

"Who would steal a mirror that doesn't show reflections except your own? Isn't that just a _little_ pointless?" The blade of sarcasm cut easily though her voice and she stuck her chin out at him.

"One as naive as yourself would think." Shibuya again evaded her question with simplicity on the tip of his tongue. Her eyes now ached from the amount of eye rolls she had given this boy. Once more wouldn't hurt. Something needed to be done about his behavior. This upfront, sarcastic, intolerable… _narcissist!_

"Ugh, I don't know how I'm going to be able to stand living here, Naru!"

The nickname had merely fallen out of her mouth. Really, it did fit him, but that _look_ on his face…

Before she could even blink, he turned toward her with a sharp intensity. "What did you say?" His cool tone had gone from collected to, if she was interpreting it right, _anxious_ in a matter of seconds. Mai took several stumbling steps backwards, unsure of this response.

"Well… because you have that mirror and can only see _yourself_ in it, I'm going to call you Naru-chan. Like narcissist. 'Shibuya-san' is too stiff." Mai shrugged half-heartedly with a lopsided grin on her face. "'Narcissist' isn't too far from your personality anyways, either." She added the last sentence under her breath, hoping newly proclaimed 'Naru' wouldn't hear it.

He hadn't. "Oh." The ice factor had returned to his voice. The smile dropped from Mai's features.

"Very well then, Mai. Now instead of slacking, go make some tea and bring it to my room. Lin will show you were both the kitchen and my room are. Don't be lazy," was his parting.

Mai stared blankly after him as he disappeared back into the shadows. She sighed heavily, coming to a final conclusion. This boy had no soul. Even now, the air seemed slightly warmer after he had left, and she felt only a 

little more comfortable. Mai hung her head and shuffled unceremoniously back into her given room, forgetting temporarily she had been given orders to fetch 'Master Naru,' she though bitterly, tea.

She felt _so alone._ She clasped her hands into a fist and set it under her chin, resting her head on top. She closed her eyes and, inhaling deeply, tried to find peace in herself for a moment and a home for her heart. Why could this be easy? Why could she just live a normal life? What was so wrong with an ordinary day?

For once in her life, she wanted a place where she belonged. A place where she was wanted and loved. A place that she could call _her home_. And yet fate continued to play her cruel tricks on Mai Taniyama's life. It was the way things were and always would be.

With a grave breath of air, she knew deep down she did not belong here, of all places. Home was…

His voice broke through the doors and rung clear in her ears, barking orders.

"Mai, where is my tea?!"

Mai keeled backwards onto the bed, her anger building. That arrogant, pompous, overbearing – oh, wait, she had used that one already – loathsome, _egoist! _Mai buried her face in her hands, on the brink of explosion. She let out her feelings with one, long, exasperated yell.

"RGH!!"

* * *

_Home's a lie_

* * *

**A/N: Anyone recognize those lyrics? Come on, the song title's not that hard. It's from the Broadway musical of Beauty and the Beast and it's called (what else?) "Home." Big surprise there, huh? Anyways, I don't own that either. Now, please, I'm asking kindly, review! I love to hear feedback, good or bad! :)**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow, is all I have to say. Over forty reviews for only four chapters. Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I'm so happy you're all enjoying it. Now I hope you enjoy the fifth chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Uh, no owning. Seriously. I wish…**

* * *

Chapter 4: A Little Luck

"Not a fun first meeting?"

Mai sat up on the bed suddenly, but then sighed. She ran a hand through her already-mussed hair, slowly figuring out who the voice belonged to. The servants-being-objects situation would take a little time to get used to. Mai turned to Yasuhara, who was still smiling like he enjoyed watching all of this.

"How did you guess?" she shot back wearily, barely trying to fit sarcasm into that statement. She supposed he _must_ have heard her scream of fury (who in the castle _hadn't_ heard that?) and her evident frustration. But neither of these two facts was in his response.

"_Nobody_ gets along with Shibuya-san, especially when they first meet him. His people skills… aren't five-star. Matsuzaki-san can be heard yelling at him most days of the week. And don't even get me started on Madoka…" The boy chuckled again, his infectious optimism getting the best of her. Mai smiled weakly, placing both her palms on the soft silk of the bed.

"What do you suppose I do with Naru, Yasuhara-san?" She leaned forward slightly, forgetting that no one else knew of the nickname. The confused silence reminded her of this.

"Oh. Right. Well, you know that mirror he always carries around? Since… eh. Never mind." She didn't want to get into full detail about why she couldn't see herself in the mirror, why he could, or how exactly she had chosen that name for him. "Naru – narcissist. End of story. What do you think I should do about him?"

Yasuhara shrugged. Or… that was what it looked like. His framed glasses flashed as Mai could not help but shudder. Before he could even answer this question, he stopped, gazing at her confused.

"What's the matter?"

Mai looked up again. His voice, laced with concern, (something she had missed greatly during her years alone) sounded much more serious now. Mai sat back against the bed, pushing the nagging thoughts of getting Naru's tea out of her mind momentarily. That could wait.

"I just – when I look at you all… something's different. I don't know. I still don't get how you all are talking objects."

Yasuhara let silence control the moment for a few seconds longer then responded. "I wish I could explain. I really do. And you _are_…" He dwindled off, normally jolly voice softening to nothing. Mai waited. She was what? Yasuhara still thought before he spoke his mind, slowly and purposefully choosing his words. Like they meant something.

"You will find many things in things manor will make you feel this way. I understand how you feel, but I'm sorry, I have been given specific orders not to elaborate." The bookcase shifted uncomfortably, but did not say any more.

Mai felt herself slump and pout. Rubbing her tired eyes, her response only a mere sigh. She felt in her gut that she would not be getting any decent answers around here. She gazed at the bookcase seemingly blankly, but Yasuhara had seen something different.

"What do you see when you look at us, Mai-san?"

Mai blinked. "Eh?" she asked dumbly. "What… do you mean?"

"I mean what I said," Yasuhara replied calmly. "What do you see when you look at us?" The spark in his eyes seemed to tell her he knew more – way more – than he was letting on. Pursing her lips, she felt that same spark must have been glinting in her eyes. Here goes nothing.

"Well, I see the objects you are…" she supplied uselessly. Yasuhara sighed.

"Now I know something's up. I'll be blunt then," he smiled grimly. "Do you see our human faces? Is that why you look so scared every time you glance our way?"

Mai felt her stomach turn to ice and then drop. Was it really that obvious? As she hung her head and nodded slowly, two voices suddenly spoke.

"You can _see_ us?"

They sounded scared. Nervous. Astonished. And somehow… hopeful. Mai spun around to both Masako and Lin. She cocked her head at the armoire and the clock. Since when had they arrived? Mai slipped from the bed and kneeled nearer to the miniature clock. The armoire shuffled its way forward, somehow delicately and gracefully. Both wore expressions of mixed feelings.

"Yeah, I suppose I can. Why? Can others not?"

She didn't really know what 'others' had been here, in this mansion away from anything and everything else. Completely isolated. Her father might have been able to see them. But that ironic sinking feeling punched her in the gut again, bringing back sharp stinging to her eyes. She would never know if he did or not.

"Well…" Masako began lightly.

"I believe that is not our business to disclose to you, Taniyama-san. If you wish to ask Naru—" (really, how long _had _they been listening?) "—then I'm sure he'll give you a reasonable enough answer. We have our orders." Lin seemed like a broken record, again ranting off on that lecture about 'their orders.' She didn't _care_ about their orders! She wanted to know!

Mai huffed impatiently and scowled at him. "That doesn't explain anything," she said bluntly and crossed her arms.

"I don't think I said that it would," Lin replied just as candidly. She couldn't help but let out another intolerant sigh. He had a quick tongue just like Naru, obviously. She wondered if this had been learned by fighting with the young master for the past who-knows-how-many years.

Definitely.

"But just to be safe, Taniyama-san, you may want to get Naru his tea. What you just experienced was his good mood."

Mai sped off down the halls before any of them could get in another word.

"John will show you where Shibuya-san's office is, Mai-san!" Yasuhara called out before she was completely out of earshot. "The kitchen is on the second floor…!"

"Second floor, got it!" she called back over her shoulder. Mai was too far off to catch his last words.

"But _don't_ set _foot_ in the West Wing!"

That warning was too late now.

* * *

"No one ever said the second floor was so huge…" Mai muttered to herself as she passed the same set of armor for the third time in fifteen minutes. Naru was, without a doubt, going to explode at her when she (eventually) made it back to his office, wherever the hell it was, anyways. Hopefully she would find John or the kitchen before Naru could find _her_.

There was really no doubting it. She was lost.

From the outside, the manor looked like it had two, maybe three stories. It looked bigger than a normal house, but not _that_ much bigger. Nevertheless, when inside (once she was good and confused in this maze) she realized the mansion… was _way_ more like a castle.

Pushing open door after door along the darkened hallways, she found nothing of true importance. Not even the kitchen was near in sight. No noises, no movements, nothing. She could have heard a pin drop. Except for the fact that she was muttering heatedly under breath, again, about how much she hated this place.

Her prison.

Mai reached the next door, at least three times bigger than the rest of the doors. She gazed up and the framework meters above her head, embellished with gold. She couldn't believe just the day before she had been living in the worst conditions, with no money, and alone. Now she had the opposite: people to actually talk to, some kind of pay no matter how small it would be, and a warm house.

It wasn't her home, though.

She placed her hand on the handle and, shoving it open with her hip, started to walk inside.

Pitch darkness met her view. She strained for stray light, impatiently wanting for her eyes to adjust. Squinting, she could only make out a few lines, a few objects. There was an open window in the far corner of the room, moonlight only just glinting off the panes. She cast her gaze to the floor, the room growing slightly clearer. A twinkle of silver. A flash of ruby. And—

"Oy!"

Mai jerked backwards, stumbling out the tall doors, and turned hastily to face the owner of the voice. Burning shame in her stomach and the tone in Takigawa's voice told her she had been somewhere where wasn't supposed to be.

That tiny fact sparked her interest even more.

The candelabra bounded up to her, severity flashing in his dark eyes. "What were you doing in there?"

"I was looking for the kitchen. I'm supposed to bring Shibuy—_Naru_," she corrected herself, "tea. But I can't find it. Yasuhara-san _said _it was on the second floor, but I've checked everywhere and—" She was cut off by his laughter. Pulling her eyebrows together, Mai looked at him, confused.

"What?"

"You're on the third floor."

Mai threw her head back and groaned, her hands clasped over her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Ah, sorry, Mai-chan. I'll bring you to the kitchen if you'd like. But… er… who's Naru?"

Mai sighed, dropping her arms. She looked down at him blankly. Did no one else see how much of a narcissist Shibuya was? Was she really going to have to explain this to everyone?

"Naru – like narsissist. You know, that mirror he carries around only shows him." Her matter-of-fact voice somehow amused him. Scowling, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Again, I don't see what's so funny."

Replying with a smile on his face, he said, "_Naru's_ already fooled you."

Mai cocked her head.

"Never mind. I guess you'll find out about that mirror soon enough."

She did not like that twinkle in his eye one bit. Mai watched him suspiciously as he leapt to the doors and shut them. Being barely tall enough to even reach the door knob, Mai wondered curiously how he managed it. Takigawa began speaking too quickly for her to contemplate it.

"Let's go to the kitchen then, shall we?"

A bright smile spread across her face and she nodded once, eager to actually get something done. She fell into step with him and began a conversation. "Takigawa-san…"

But that was as far as she got.

"Y'know, you can call me Bou-san if you'd like. Everyone else does."

Mai stopped momentarily, considering that name, and finally came up with a decent response. "Y-you're a monk?" she asked slowly, carefully, scrunching her nose with uncertainty. Takigawa gave a few laughs, followed by a heavy sigh.

"You don't believe me?" he teased innocently, smirking.

Mai giggled and ran a hand through her hair. "I just don't see how a candle holder could become a monk. Isn't that a little… difficult?"

He laughed once again, but she only just caught the slight trace of bitterness. Another story to be discovered. More secrets about this house and the people who live inside. Just what was happening here?

"It's a long story. Maybe someday I'll tell it to you. Maybe…" he sighed, trailing off. "But don't mind that. Naru's tea awaits!"

He nudged her down the stairs with false cheer and determination, making her laugh all the way. He pushed towards a small wooden door off to the side of the hallway, a door she would have normally never noticed. She swung it open, Takigawa at her heels, and breathed in the sweet fumes… that oddly smelled like tea.

The kitchen was small, cozy, and warm. Mai could not help but genuinely smile. Wooden cabinets lined the walls, stuffed with glasses, plates, silverware, and anything else that could be placed in a dinner table. The gas stove was in one corner, the deep sink piled with soap bubbles in another. Five damps rags hung from the rack nearby and a small fire was crackling in the black oven next to it.

Mai stepped toward the clear island in the center of the room, rummaging through drawers and lower cabinets to find a teapot, tray, a glass, and… well, tea.

"Hello, Mai-chan! Is Naru completely fed up yet?"

She snapped her head up quickly, finding Madoka already pouring tea into a cup. And then she caught the nickname. "How did you—?" Mai began, but Madoka just clicked her tongue, grinning cheekily.

"Aw, Mai-chan, nothing stays quiet around here. Even in the span of a few minutes. I know everything. It was very clever though. It's finally time someone else with a backbone came to this place."

A pleased blush dusted her nose as she carefully picked up the tray of tea, the steam wafting out in front of her nose. She could feel its heat upon her face. "Thanks, Mori-san. Now maybe he'll only get mad – not absolutely furious."

"I think you're a little late for that, jou-chan," Takigawa chuckled from the corner.

"Bou-san," John piped up, slightly scolding. Mai blinked at the new voice, only just noticing the tiny white teacup had been there all along. The candelabra only grinned and turned back to Mai, candles flickering happily.

"I told you I was a monk," he joked and Mai feigned defeat.

"Fine, fine, you got me. Brown-san, can you show me to Naru's office? I want to get there as fast as possible, and I don't want to get lost again." She smiled sheepishly, catching Takigawa's knowing glance (but missing the shared serious look between Madoka and him) and John nodded.

"But please, Mai-san," he added politely as they walked out the door together, John in the lead, "you can call me John. We all know each other very well here and I would hate for you feel left out."

"Will do," she noted, glad that no one else in the manor was as rude, detestable, and just plain cruel as Naru. Lin was on the border.

"Shibuya-san's office and room are at the end of the hall, Mai-san," John left her there and disappeared into the shadows. She could have sworn she heard him whisper hopefully, "Good luck."

Because she was definitely going to need it.

* * *

**A/N: I honestly have nothing to say here… so please review!**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: New chapter, yay! Thank you all so much for the positive reviews for this story! Makes me even happier to write. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Do you honestly think I'd be writing this if I owned Ghost Hunt?**

* * *

Chapter Five: Expectations

Mai took several steadying breaths and step by step, timing her paces along with her heartbeats, she moved forward to Naru's office and room. Once or twice, she faltered in her steps, afraid of what he would say when she came in nearly an hour later with his tea. She willed herself not start shaking, but found it nearly useless.

And then the door rushed to meet her. The ten feet of mahogany in front of her face seemed to jeer at her for being so foolish. The brass handle too bitingly cold, the carpet too sinkingly plush. And then there was the master. There was no telling what Naru would do when she entered. Apprehension dropped deeper into her stomach.

She heard him before she saw him.

"And _what_ exactly was taking you so long just to make me tea? I would suppose fifteen minutes would be long enough to walk there, make the tea, and walk back. It's been near an hour," he almost snarled. Mai ignored the blatant rudeness, biting her tongue to keep from getting kicked out of the place (although she didn't really see how that was possible) and laid the tray down on Naru's desk.

After giving a deep, albeit stiff bow, Mai replied, "Sorry, _Naru_," it was the farthest she'd go with an insult to his face, "but I got lost. I haven't even been here a day; you can't expect me to know this place like the back of my hand."

He turned in his leather chair, now letting Mai see him. He seemed more intimidating than he actually was. Naru narrowed his indifferent eyes and didn't respond. He nodded at the tea.

"Hand it to me."

She was barely a second away from slicing her tongue in half. Mai strained to keep her hands from shaking the tea out of the cup in anger and shoved it in his face. Briefly, their hands touched – and her stomach jumped slightly. She froze, her eyes wide. Her stomach fluttered again as he looked up at her with that piercing, horrible, demeaning… slightly breath-taking… _no_!

"Do you need something?" he bit out, taking a sip. His nose scrunched slightly and he set the tea down again. Before she could talk, Naru again spoke.

"Mai, did I not tell _you_ to make the tea?"

Mai blinked. Odd question, but, "Er… yeah, you did…"

His voice continued steadily, soft but eerily foreboding and firm. "Did I not make myself perfectly clear?"

Mai stuttered, "Cl-clear about what?" He was starting to freak her out, his gaze hypnotizing. She tried to step back gradually, but found her legs would not move to her will. She ended up shuffling backwards awkwardly as the master stood. Slowly and plainly, Naru explained, stepping out from behind the desk, taking the tray and tea with him.

"That you were the one to make the tea for me."

Mai managed her steady her breathing slightly and she responded, "Well, yeah. I guess…"

"Then, next time, don't let John and Madoka make it for you. There is a reason you are employed here, you know." A smirk curled up onto his lips as he watched her realize her mistake. Leaving the servant completely flustered, Naru shoved the tray back into her trembling hands and turned away dismissively.

"Go now. I still want tea."

Mai stood there, jaw hanging slack, until she finally accepted the fact that he was being serious. She took off without another word… or before a word could escape her mouth, because she knew if one did, it wouldn't be pleasant. Naru stepped back hesitantly as she exited, his stony glare faltering and fading.

He closed his eyes halfway, grimacing, and placed a hand to his forehead. Massaging his temples momentarily, he let his hand drop and pulled the mirror from the front pocket of his black suit jacket. Grasping the silver handle securely, he sat back down at his desk and faced the musky dark red velvet curtains. His normally cold voice sounded suddenly different.

"Show me the girl."

* * *

Mai was a single insult away from blowing up. She slammed the tray down on the kitchen counter and searched for an inanimate tea pot (that _didn't_ talk), tea leaves, and washed out the teacup she first used, resisting the urge to poison the tea when it was finished – for the second time.

"Who cares if the goddamned tea is made by someone else? It's still freakin' tea, isn't it?"

Muttering to herself furiously, she didn't notice Ayako in the doorway staring at her curiously. The feather duster coughed gently and glided gracefully into the room to make her appearance. Mai swiveled around, falling silent with a heavy sigh, wondering how objects could make themselves more dignified than herself half the time.

"Hello, Ayako-san," Mai droned. "Just… getting the master's tea," she growled out. "Don't mind me." She set the water over the stove and flipped the switch. Mai turned around, leaning against the edge of the counter, and crossed her arms. She felt tired and drained and she just needed some sleep. But Ayako had different things on her mind than letting the young brunette relax.

"Actually, Mai," Ayako began carefully, sliding closer, "you're just the person I wanted to talk to. I can see from your mood you've met Shibuya-san."

"I've officially renamed him Naru," Mai responded with a bit more pride. She could see Ayako's smile widen, but then falter. Mai cocked her head slightly

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Mai kneeled next to her and sat at rapt attention. For some reason, Ayako avoided her gaze. Clearing her throat, Ayako began – however hesitant she may have been.

"There's… something you need to know about this house. Something you need to know about all of us. We aren't all exactly—"

"Matsuzaki-san!"

Again, Lin had appeared from out of nowhere, surprising the two girls. Mai stood instantly and immersed herself in checking the boiling water. She had no business in listening to whatever was going on. Ayako looked up at Mai worriedly for a moment, debating on whether to continue or not, but then turned to Lin.

"Yes?" Ayako asked impatiently. Even though the feather duster was just annoyed, Mai could almost hear her tapping a heeled shoe on the ground. She shook it off and turned her attention back to pouring the tea. It was just her mind playing tricks on her.

If Mai had looked closer though…

"What are you doing in here?" Lin asked

"Taniyama-san, Naru is waiting for you."

Mai nodded resignedly and exited the kitchen for the second time that night with a tray of steaming tea. She cast a glance backwards, down at the feather duster and wooden clock, wondering what exactly Ayako was going to tell her. But now… now she'd never know. She turned herself forward and walked back down the hall. Those secrets would have to wait.

"What the _hell_ did you do that for?" Ayako instantly rounded on Lin when Mai was out of earshot. So much for an 'innocent' miko. She glared at the clock with undeterminable fury. "She has a right to know what's going on! She has a right to know what_ happened_ to us that night!"

"Not yet," Lin said shortly. Ayako bristled, shoving her face in Lin's.

"You saw how sad she looked, how broken down she already is. She hasn't even spent twenty-four hours here and she already treats this place like a prison! Pretty soon, she'll leave this place no matter what the master says. And she'll—!"

Lin cut her off swiftly. "I don't need the lecture, Matsuzaki-san. I know already. I've seen the girl; I know what she's supposed to do for all of us. Just… not yet." Lin sounded honestly regretful that he could not help any more. Ayako sighed nervously and began to head towards the door.

"The only reason I'm worried is because we don't have a lot of time left. Pretty soon… we'll all be gone. And all this waiting will have been for nothing."

* * *

"Here," Mai dropped the tray on Naru's desk, picked up the saucer, and shoved it over his book, feeling a sense of déjà vu. "Made by me. And that only took me," Mai glanced up at the grandfather clock, "thirteen minutes." Mai smirked self-righteously, but Naru didn't look up at her to see it.

Without even taking his eyes off the book he was reading, he took the saucer from her hands and waved her off.

"You can go," he said simply. Mai stood, shocked and offended at his blatant attitude, and now wouldn't dare move.

"No thanks? No 'sorry for being a complete jerk earlier'?"

"No."

Rage swelled instantly. "It took me an hour and a half to make you a decent cup of tea and you don't even have the manners to say thank you?"

Silence again told her no. Mai stepped away from the tray, afraid she'd smash his face in with it. "Why are you so picky about the tea anyways?"

The look Naru gave her obviously said, 'Because I can be.' He slowly set down his book, never unlocking their gaze. His eyes were so unfeeling, so cold, so evil. Mai, however put off by the rudeness, couldn't bare to break the look. Something was there, something else, and she had to figure out what.

"Mai, because this mansion is your home now, you may go anywhere you would like. As long as I can always reach you."

Mai blinked, taken off guard. She wasn't expecting that.

"_But_," Naru stressed, standing instantly. Mai shrank back even more. "The West Wing – where I have heard you've poked around – is forbidden. No questions. If I do catch you around there, trying to get in, the consequences _will_ be severe. Do I make myself clear?"

Mai nodded vigorously and Naru fell back casually into his seat.

"Okay. _Now_ you can go."

She narrowed her eyes, huffed, and pivoted on her heel, marching out of the room. Under her breath, she muttered, "You're welcome, Naru." There was still something about him she had to discover. And something told her the West Wing was the key. So what if it was forbidden? That just made it all the more interesting.

* * *

On the other side of the house, the seven were talking. Bathed in utter darkness, their forms were unseen. Only their voices could distinguish who was speaking. Each one listened with perked ears just in case the door opened to reveal the newest servant. Because this conversation was too important to risk anyone else hearing.

"They don't like each other at all," Masako sighed pointedly. "Hate's already a better word for it. She's already calling him nicknames. Naru, short for _narushishisuto._"

"Well, it's not far off from the mark, is it?" Takigawa snorted.

"And," Masako continued smoothly as if Takigawa had never spoken out, "he was surprised when he heard her say it because… well, you know why. He never wants to hear that name again. He's afraid someone will figure out what happened to us."

Tension grew as they all remembered that night that still haunted their dreams to this very day. They had to cast those thoughts away. The past couldn't be reversed. But it _could_ be fixed.

"Well, wouldn't you be afraid, too? Even the 'Great Shibuya' has something to hide from," Ayako muttered bitterly. "It was about time." She sounded angry, upset, hurt. Like she was fed up with being trapped for so long and was ready to break the bars of their prison.

"Matsuzaki-san," John said reproachfully, his voice still kind. "You remember what it was like before, don't you? It was nicer here… Shibuya-san was nicer then. Wouldn't it be nice to be human again?"

Reminiscing silence followed John's words. It had had been nicer, more peaceful, happier, brighter… the complete opposite of what it was today. And they all knew how they could resolve the situation.

"She can change that," John said quietly, breaking the calm. "She can help us if we just tell her. We all know she can." The hope in his voice was not uncommon, but somehow, it spread slightly to everyone else. The seven looked around the room uneasily at one another, eyes already adjusted to the blackness, and came upon an unspoken agreement.

"I suppose that was why he brought her here," Yasuhara supplied. "He's still got some faith."

"It won't do any good if he keeps shoving her away," Madoka said earnestly. "Maybe… we have to help."

Everyone heard the mischievous smile in her voice.

"What do you mean, Madoka?" Lin asked warily. Madoka laughed.

"Oh, don't act oblivious, Lin. You _know_ what I mean." Madoka's bright grin could be seen through the dark, almost illuminating the room. "And anyways," the cheery tone dropped, becoming somber and serious, "this is our last chance to reverse the spell. Otherwise…"

By a mere chance, all seven spoke together and finished Madoka's sentence. "…it's hopeless."

**

* * *

**

A/N: So. A bit more is revealed about the seven others. If you were confused a bit, then that's good. I won't reveal all the details until the end.

**On another random note, did anyone see Indiana Jones 4? Anyone catch the quote? This made me smile: "His favorite scientist. If you can consider **_**psychic research**_** a science." Ha, Naru's wouldn't like that very much, huh?**

**Anyways, please review! I love to hear thoughts, ideas, whatever. :)**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Yay! It's really, really late and I still finished this chapter. Awesome. Again, thanks times a million to all of my wonderfully amazing reviewers! I'm sorry I don't have the time to thank you all individually, but the story must go on.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ghost Hunt, (spoiler warning!) we all would have heard Naru's English accent by now. (I know he doesn't actually have one since he was born in Japan, but still. Imagine, people!)**

* * *

Chapter 6: A Puzzle Piece

It was dark. Pitch black. Mai could not see anything in front of her, behind her, nothing in any direction was visible. She dared a step forward and touched solid ground with the tip of her toe. She slowly planted her foot and took another careful step. Still feeling apprehensive in the dark, Mai stuck out her hands in front of her and continued to walk forward.

"Hello?" she called out, surprised at the tremble in her voice. "Is – is anyone there?"

She could only hear her footsteps on the unseen ground. Her pulse raced instantly when she heard another voice.

"So he finally caved," someone muttered thoughtfully – and suddenly, lights flicked on. It was light enough to see in front of her now, at least. The backdrop surrounding her was still black and seemed to continue on forever, but about three meters in front of her stood a man that she recognized all too well – and at first, that wasn't a good thing. Mai stared in shock, in disbelief, not really understanding what was going on. Was she still in Shibuya Manor?

"Naru?"

Naru still stared back indifferently, his blue eyes intent as if gazing directly into her soul. But this gaze was somehow kinder than the ones he had given her this morning. His gaze was more thoughtful than scrutinizing. Under it, Mai felt herself blush. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she asked again, her voice growing stronger, "Naru? Where am I?"

Again, he didn't respond. Mai scrunched her nose, crossing her arms. She was hoping for some sort of answer, cynical or not. This setting certainly didn't seem like the manor. She couldn't even see anything other than Naru and herself. The last thing she remembered doing was giving Naru his tea. It was all hazy after that.

"You look blind if you leave your arms out in front of you like that." Naru cocked an eyebrow with a smile. Mai tinged pink again and hastily lowered her arms, still garbed in the ratty old wool sweater. She raised her head to meet her gaze with Naru's again, only to find that amused smile still adorned his face. Mai blinked. This was not the type of smile he had worn earlier. No, that smile had been demeaning and mocking.

Simple peace was portrayed in this expression. His blue eyes were the most distinctive transformation. They were no longer blank, cruel, harsh, but clear and patient. 

Something had changed so suddenly about Naru… and when she came to think about it, Mai found herself liking it. But something else just wasn't right. The puzzle pieces just didn't seem to click together perfectly. 'Different' was too small a word to cover the sudden changes in Naru's snappish behavior. Personalities weren't switched this easily.

_So then_, Mai found herself wondering,_ what happened? _

"In the morning, you've got to change into something nicer. Something that fits you. You have an appearance to uphold in the manor, after all," he said. Mai was pulled from the mystery and looked down at the ragged top. She tugged absently at the sleeve of her sweater and sighed. It was about time. She had no idea how long she'd had this jacket. Too long, she guessed.

"Yes," Naru confirmed decisively, a hard tone showing who was boss standing out proudly in his voice. "And ask Madoka to help you with the clothes, or Matsuzaki-san if she's not busy."

At this, Mai could not help but respond, "Busy? How could they be busy? They're nothing but… well, household objects. They have nothing better to do than wander around the manor. You treat them as nothing more than objects, too." It felt good to backtalk and it felt even better to see that slightly shocked look upon Naru's handsome face. He tapped his chin twice and came upon an answer.

"I do, do I?"

Rolling her eyes was an absolute necessity at this point. "You don't notice? _Really_?" Her foot was tapping on the ground, showing her annoyance. There was no sarcasm evident in his tone. He sounded genuinely interested. Naru looked away smoothly, gazing over her shoulder.

"I suppose something must be done about that then," Naru said quietly. Mai shrugged nonchalantly, knowing nothing about going to be done about it. Even after a day, this was Naru. His nickname said everything and more. She couldn't expect Naru to change.

"I'll just ask Masako for clothes, anyway, seeing as she's the wardrobe."

Naru actually laughed. Well, Mai considered it as a laugh when his smile widened for a brief moment and he have a short sigh. To her, it was close enough and surely an accomplishment. "I know Masako is a stickler for elegant clothes, but I wouldn't stoop so low as to calling her a wardrobe," Naru replied knowingly.

Mai bit her lip, confused. Did she accidently put something in his tea last night to make him act this way? Naru's smile slowly faded as he saw her confusion.

"You're serious," he said solemnly, matter-of-factly. "Well, then, what happened after…?"

"After what?" Mai interjected eagerly and Naru fell silent, casting a composed glance her way. He pondered her words for a few brief moments and merely shook his head.

"You'll find out soon enough. I don't fully understand it myself. But… Mai…"

It was then Mai noticed everything was slowly fading out. She watched him anxiously as the lights slowly dimmed again, returning her to blackness and oblivion. He observed her with a kind expression and uttered two words before everything was gone.

"…Thank you."

A warm rush spread though her chest and she smiled back at him, self-satisfied. She stood there with that bright, naïve grin on her face, lost in her thoughts. So Naru _could_ be nice. Well, that was a huge upside to this whole situation. And he was actually able to use his manners. That was another positive note. That smile, too… wow, that smile… Mai shook herself out of her delusions. No, no, and _no_. He was her boss, and she was _only _there to work off debts. Nothing more, nothing less. End of story. There was nothing else going on. But no matter how much she told herself that, no matter how much she forced her mind to believe it, her heart was going a totally separate route. This was going to get interesting.

Mai shot up in her bed, breathing heavily, embarrassed heat creeping along her body unmercifully. An iron fist gripped her heart and dragged it downwards, crushing her spirits. Comprehension killed her mood ever more as she realized it was all a dream. All Naru's kindness, purity, and overall… well, she just couldn't explain the difference that she had seen in him. She thought it was for real.

_So much for a brighter future in the manor_, she thought dejectedly. Mai brought a hand to her face, running it through her knotted, now bed-head hair, and pulled herself out of bed, dragging her feet across the plush carpet. There was nothing she could do about it now. She would just have to go through today sleep-deprived.

"You're finally up," Masako sighed dramatically, making Mai jump backwards and topple to the ground. A soft giggle was heard from the wardrobe and Masako continued blandly, ignoring the fact Mai was still in sleep-mode. "Naru's been yelling for an hour for tea. It's already eight. Can't you just get up and make him tea?"

_That's easier said than done._

"Already _eight_," Mai snapped back sarcastically under her breath. "Goodness, my apologies for _sleeping in…_" She headed dazedly for the bathroom, stumbling on drunken sailor's legs. She hadn't noticed the bookcase on the other side of her headboard had oddly disappeared in the middle of the night.

"The bathroom is through those doors. Take a shower, brush your teeth, and get ready for the day as soon as you can. Naru's temper does not cool after flaring up."

Gathering herself from the floor, she remembered what Naru (well, her dream Naru) had said in her sleep. "Hara-san, would you mind getting me clothes while I'm getting ready?" Mai pleaded innocently. The wardrobe thought for a few seconds, wondering it if was really worth it.

"I suppose it wouldn't be too much trouble for me. And the ones you have now are disgusting anyway."

Mai paused and decided to take this answer as a decent 'yes.' She sighed heavily, swinging the bathroom doors open, and shut them behind her. She turned on the shower, filling the air with soothing steam. Not even twenty four hours ago had she known that her father had died and her future would take a downhill plunge, leaving her without anything. And last night, right when Mai had finally believed that something could have gone right, she had found out it was only a dream.

She knew life wasn't fair. She had learned that lesson the hard way and dealt with it the best she could. But the hurdles were flying at her faster now, and she wasn't sure if she could keep up – or fall flat on her face. As the warm water ran over her body – something she had missed dearly in that pathetic shack she could no longer call home – Mai truly wondered how she would begin to understand life here. She just felt of out of place and knew fitting in wasn't going to be easy.

Turning the water off, Mai stepped out of the shower and pulled the white towel from the wooden rack above the sink. She wrapped it around herself quickly and reopened the bathroom door to gather her clothes. And, as she came out, she did notice something laid out on her bed. She moved closer to gape at the new clothes that had been so freely given to her.

A silky-soft, knee length skirt was laid underneath a plain collared shirt, both smooth to the touch. The skirt was a pure black, embroidered and hemmed with a silver thread. It slid like butter through her fingers and she couldn't help but smile. The shirt was starch white, but still flexible and comfortable. The buttons up the middle were small and standard, reflecting the light ever so slightly. Beige tights and black patent leather shoes lay next to the outfit.

And then suspicion hit her like a brick.

How had the clothes gotten on her bed?

Masako wasn't able to put them there, obviously. Mai gazed between the clothes on her bed and the armoire, still very confused. If no else had been in here, how had the clothes gotten on her bed? She had only expected the clothes to be in the wardrobe, not laid neatly out as if someone… as if someone else had been _in_ the room. And also, she noticed suddenly, how had the bed been _made_? The violet sheets were pulled tightly across the mattress, pillows lined with gold thread stacked neatly at the head of the bed. She had only taken a shower for a few minutes and hadn't heard anyone in here.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" Masako snapped and Mai snatched the clothes from her bed. She would figure this out later. She padded back into the bathroom and viciously slammed the door shut. She was surprised the double doors didn't unhinge.

Masako's haughty expression slowly faded, followed by one of regret. This concept was too hard to grasp, much less execute. Even though everyone had been sure this plan would work, she felt they were going about it the wrong way. If only the right choice was so much easier – if it wasn't forbidden. Shaking her head, she knew one final thing: it had to be done and there was no fighting it.

* * *

"Tea!" Mai called as she walked into Naru's office. She caught a glimpse of the master talking with the tiny clock and both looked up at her as she glided into the room obliviously. Their matching, hard glares were enough to make her falter the slightest bit, but she kept going, head held high, until she reached the wood desk. The white china shook slightly as she placed it down and she slid a hand underneath the saucer to hand it to Naru.

She caught the end of their conversation. Hearing Lin's deep voice say, "…your time. This could very well be our last chance." Naru remained solemn and unresponsive, his gaze now locked on Mai. Lin disappeared almost immediately without another word.

"Good, you're getting the hang of things," Naru said evenly, completely ignoring the bewildered look on Mai's face.

"And you got new clothes." Mai beamed, happy he noticed.

"Better than those rags you had on yesterday." The beam vanished. Naru paid no mind, getting right to her first job. "Now, as for today. I need you to go into the library and clean up in there – dust, sweep, and organize all the books alphabetically. Understand?"

Mai picked at the edge of her sleeve and nodded. He waved her off again noiselessly and she backed from the room. For some reason, her heart pounded faster. The smile on her face was unable to be wiped away. What was this? As images of Naru quickly jumped through her mind, completely destroying her train of thought, she knew why her heart felt like it was beating as if tomorrow would never come. She knew why the smile felt painted on like some porcelain doll in the store window.

But – but – he was her boss! He was rude, arrogant, cold… there weren't enough words to describe his foul behavior. And yet… yet he was handsome, rich, and authoritative. She had seen his nice side last night in her dreams, whether the dreams could be turned into reality or not, they gave her a reason to see what she could do to make him act that way. After all, she had all the time in the world. Naru was just… just…

Confusing.

Confusing was a good enough word for it.

He was just something she was going to have to figure out.

She was only missing that one puzzle piece that made the whole picture clear.

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**A/N: Aw, Mai's crushing! Or that's what the story implied, if you didn't get it. And a little visit from you-know-who, too. Anyways, please review****!**

**Extra note - I'm going on a summer trip soon, so the next chapter may take a little longer to finish. Sorry, everyone!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm am so, so sorry about the lateness of this chapter! Really, I can't apologize enough. Anyways, I'll just get to the chapter as fast as possible.**

**Disclaimer: The entire English cast for the DVD coming out in the fall would already be revealed if I owned Ghost Hunt. Now because that hasn't happened yet, put two and two together.**

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Chapter 7: Lectures and Long Days

When Naru said 'go clean the library,' she was just expecting a small room with a few bookcases and maybe a couple of chandeliers and lamps. Nothing big, nothing special. Like anyone actually ever made their libraries fancy. But as Mai soon found out, Naru's library was much more… extensive. Meaning that she was going to be stuck in this giant, auditorium-like room for the next two weeks cleaning everything.

When she entered, her jaw unhinged and hit the floor. Wincing, she ran her fingers along the third row of the first bookcase. Dust caked her hand a musky grey. As she looked back over her shoulder, she could see the tracks of her fingers along the rows of books. Did the man come in here at all in the past five years? Mai groaned weakly, but got to work.

The main bookcases were placed side by side on the walls, their dark wood shining under the light of two large, gold chandeliers. Both were placed on opposing corners of the high ceiling. Eight other bookcases stood in two columns of four in the center of the room, all stacked with books equally as grimy as the first bookcase. Mai then noticed a few more than several lamps dotted all around the room. One stood in each of the four corners of the library, decorated identical to the chandeliers above. A few were placed around the bookcases in the center of the room and one last lamp rested where a small sitting place had been set up with two plush, deep red chairs and a matching sofa.

She began by shoving all of the books from the very top shelf to the floor, each book landing with a dull thud. Mai pulled a soft rag from her pile of supplies she had dragged with her from the kitchen and began to wipe down the now-empty shelf. Even after one brush of the rag, the shelves were no longer brownish-grey. At least ten shades darker, the wood was highly polished and absolutely gorgeous. How could someone let such expensive things - even something as simple as a bookcase - go to such waste by just leaving them to collect dust?

Was there nothing in this manor that didn't cost over ten times what she had now? Oh, she could answer that question herself. The life of the rich and arrogant - lonely, maybe for Naru, but it couldn't be a bad one. Of course, she would never know what it was like. She could only admire from afar.

So much for dreaming, because no matter how hard she wished, it wouldn't come true. She had to get back to work. Back to her life being dirt-poor (that description hit a little too close to home), penniless, and completely hopeless.

After the first four dirt-covered bookcases, twenty shelves, over two-hundred forty books, and too many grey rags to count, Mai had noticed an odd pattern in the books. Ghosts were the main topic in every single yellow-paged book. Ghosts, spirits, phantoms, exorcisms - everything related somehow to the world of the dead. Mai giggled, fingering one particularly thick book called _The_ _Grand Almanac of Psychic Investigation_. This wasn't for real, right? No one could possibly believe this stuff.

Ghosts didn't exist. The stories were interesting, frightening, and fun to tell, but that was all they were - _stories_. Unable to keep herself away, she kneeled and picked up another book: _The Origins of Ghost Hunting_. Ghost hunting, huh? What could possibly interest Naru so much to have all of these books _just_ on ghosts? Maybe this place was haunted. Mai laughed at that instantly. No way. But there must have been a reason for all of these books… Maybe if she read one, she would find out…

"It's not real," she whispered to herself at a last attempt to keep herself from not believing. "It's only for fun." With that, she stood and made her way to one of the chairs across the room. Mai nestled herself comfortably in the chair and opened to page one.

Really, what made ghosts so interesting…?

* * *

Lin came out of the library, looking slightly incredulous. "She's already asleep."

Three other shocked faces stared back at him. Lin's message was not what they had been expecting. Suddenly, there was a short outbreak of laughter. All heads turned to the teapot. Madoka grinned and said, "Well, this was much easier than I thought it was going to be. Bou-san, I guess you know what to do. John, you can just stay with Lin and I'll… finish it. Just like we said."

Again, that smile in her voice stood out boldly. None of the others were too sure how much they could trust this plan they had thrown together, but it was their only hope for now. The chandelier nodded once bounded off down the hall while both John and Lin stood at either side of the door's entrance.

"I'll be back when they're in there together! It'll be back to normal in no time, trust me…!" Madoka's voice faded out down the hallway and both John and Lin gave a collective sigh.

"Sometimes I really do think Madoka's a little too positive for her - our - own good," Lin muttered once they knew she was out of earshot. John nodded slowly in silent agreement.

"She just misses it, that's all. We all miss actually being able to walk down a hallway in less than a minute or being able to reach something on the third shelf or see above something. I'm sure Masako-san and Yasuhara-san are tired of being stuck in that room together, no less, and now we can't even move around freely because Mai-san is here. We're all trapped, and Madoka's just trying to find the one easy way out of it. Before…" John trailed off shakily, erasing the second option from his head.

No. They couldn't think like that. Everything would be normal soon enough. Rushing a happily ever after on one unsuspecting orphan who thought her only job here was to pay off her father's debt and a hopeless, arrogant narcissist was not something any of them had been expecting to pull off. But Madoka had jumped right to it and they had all been inclined (more like threatened and forced, as it _was_ Madoka) to help her out. Ayako, Yasuhara, and Masako were so lucky right now. None of them had to stakeout in front of the library and wait for their impatient boss.

"How long has it been since… then? That day? I've lost track," Lin smoothly changed the subject in the midst of the awkward silence. John waited for a long moment, doing the math in his head.

"Three years and ten months this Friday. It seems longer, though, doesn't it?" John replied with a sad grin. They didn't like to remember the nightmare when they didn't have to. Even for Lin, the shock had come unexpectedly and no apologies had been exchanged ever since. The two of them shifted uncomfortably in their place, looking down the hallways for any sign of movement and an escape from this disliked topic.

"Where is Shibuya-san? He should be here already. It doesn't take this long to get across one floor," the teacup wondered out loud, bouncing forward a few feet and then back anxiously. Lin peered into the library again, making sure that the young servant was still asleep. The book she had attempted to start reading was covering her face, her hands crossed over her thin stomach, and her legs outstretched and crossed at the ankle. Lin had half a heart to go in there and wake her up himself before Naru got to her. But no. They had agreed to this plan and they had to go through with it, even if it meant pushing Naru's temper past its breaking point. They only had a few chances before everything was wasted.

Lin suggested after a brief pause, "He might be gazing at her in the mirror." It wasn't very possible, seeing as Naru was probably working or just thinking. He seemed to do that more than ever these days. Maybe the fact that Mai had been invited (well, ordered) and now was here had gotten under his skin and into his head faster than they had expected.

"But she's asleep. He'd be down here already if he was."

"He might be gazing at himself in the mirror." This was the most plausible answer and the one thing John could not protest. But disproving their theories, Naru came rushing up the hallway seconds later, fury evident. John and Lin both turned and busied themselves instantly, but watched Naru storm into the library from the corners of their eyes, slamming the door behind him. Takigawa came forward moments later, smirking in victory. Their plan was in action.

"Madoka!" Lin called brusquely, waiting for the teapot to come speeding down the hallway after Naru. "We're ready for you."

* * *

"Mai. _Mai._"

Mai shifted slightly, crinkling her nose, and waved away the person calling her. No one was going to wake her up right now. She had been trying to dream about Naru again. It was probably the only time she was going to see his kind side, so it was worth a try. There was a sharp angry sigh and someone yanked the book from its position over her face.

"Get up!"

Mai rolled over on her side, eyes clenched shut and moaned incoherently. She wanted to get away from the angry voice. _Or_ the angry voice needed to get away from her before she made it. The book smacked her sharply on the top of the head and she flipped over right away, ready to avenge her ruined sleep. What she saw reminded her of where she was and what she was doing.

"Naru!" she yelped, leaping up instantly. He stared her down with a lethal gaze as she hastily gathered herself off the couch. Looking her up and down, his wake-up greeting wasn't particularly pleasant. But Naru himself had never been pleasant whatsoever to her in the past two days, so it was expected.

"Are you finally awake, Sleeping _Beauty_?" he shot at her cynically, turning away and sticking his nose up in the air when saying the last word. Mai scowled, clasped her hands together, and avoided his penetrating glare. With her head down, she searched desperately for her cleaning supplies before Naru could jump deeper into insulting her. But Naru had other ideas.

As in lectures. "I do not believe napping on the job and reading my books count as sufficiently paying off your debt. The last time I checked, that was not what I said you were going to be doing here, was it?"

Biting the inside of her lip so hard so that she would not explode, Mai could only shake her head back and forth bluntly. Under the impression he had only intimidated Mai, a self-satisfied grimace (it could not be classified as a smirk or a smile) came over his pale face.

"Good. You can understand something as simple as that. And I thought you weren't going to be able to do anything." Mai held back another retort. He only wanted her to respond, he only wanted her to get annoyed. Naru continued when he saw no emotions flicker across her eyes. "But as extra payment for sleeping when you were supposed to be on the job, you will clean those windows." Naru pointed over her head and behind her, to where dark red curtains hung three meters high and over ten meters wide.

Behind all that curtain space were solid glass windows. Very _tall _solid glass windows that probably hadn't been used in years. Mai let out her breath wearily, slouching unhappily, but said nothing as she went to pick up her cleaning equipment and finish her other work that she was supposed to have done who knows how long ago. She still had over fifteen bookcases to go and she couldn't let Naru lecture her again on slacking off. Once was enough.

"And when you're finished with that, I want tea." Her back stiffened and she nodded once to show she understood that as well. Just another day working for the devil narcissist himself. _Wasn't it good to be her?_ The sarcasm sliced through her thoughts and made her stomp a little too harshly, breathe a little too loudly, and made her throw the next set of bookcases to the ground with such force that even Naru jumped and turned around to stare. She didn't pay any mind, however, as the rants in her head became more and more pronounced and vicious.

It wasn't until she heard the last, slightly desperate, brutal shake of the door handle, a sharp kick, and Naru's heavy footsteps on the wood floor did she realize something was out of place. Turning slowly, she saw Naru gracefully (as if he didn't do anything clumsy) fall onto the couch she had just been sleeping on, pull the almanac from the ground, and begin to read.

He felt her perplexed gaze upon his head and gave an irate, brisk response - one that Mai had not been expecting.

"The door is locked."

Even that took a few seconds to register in her mind. But when it did, a surprised little helpless squeak emitted from her mouth. She dropped everything she was holding and rushed to try and open the door. What Naru had said was true. They were trapped inside.

Reality hit her even harder. She was trapped in a room with Naru. Alone. Together. For who knew how long. A mix of horror, sheer torture, and for some odd reason, glee overcame her. She could barely stand staying in a room with him for over a minute, how could she possibly survive for any longer? So Mai did the only thing that came to mind.

"Get me out of here!" she screamed, pounding and kicking the door like some child throwing a tantrum. Hopefully one of the servants would hear her and come to try and help at least. Naru, without even looking up from his book, read her mind like it was printed on the very piece of paper he was reading.

"They won't unlock the door, just to warn you."

Mai swiveled around and whimpered, "How do you know? How can you possibly be so calm in a-?"

"You do realize my servants were the ones who locked the door in the first place, don't you?"

This information felt like a fist to the stomach as all the wind was sucked out of her. This could not possibly be true. There was no motive, no reason to confine her in a room with the nastiest person she had ever had the displeasure to meet. And yet the slightest bit of her remained hopeful. "_Why?_ Why would they do something like that? Just for fun?" she gasped, sounding near hysterics. The small flicker of life in Naru's normally opaque eyes made her jump slightly as he stared her down for what seemed like the tenth time that day. The spark was gone just as fast as it came.

"I don't know."

Mai was too deep in panic to realize this was an outright lie. She pulled away from the door reluctantly and scanned the room for an escape of some kind. Her own brown eyes twinkled excitedly when they passed over the windows. But Naru just as easily read her mind and crushed her spirits.

"If you break any of these windows, I will add three more years to your service. Per window."

Mai shot back just as nastily, absolutely fed up, "Oh, like I'm not already here for life."

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

**A/N: I would probably hate getting trapped in a room with a grumpy Naru. That would suck. Anyway, I'm also hinting a little more at what everyone's motives are. Is anyone catching on?**

**Please review!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: New chapter! Again, I also wanted to say thanks times a million for all of the awesome reviews I'm getting**

**Disclaimer: You get the picture.**

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Chapter 8: Seeing is Believing

Her time spent in the soundless library, cleaning, dusting, muttering to herself about why Naru needed manners lessons seemed never-ending. Eternity seemed to pass before the clock even struck one real hour. So far, all but one bookcase had been cleaned, Mai was covered head to toe in filth, and the stack of already finished books at Naru's feet seemed to be growing by the minute.

Being the person she was, Mai had _tried_ talking to Naru. Her attempts made in the past hour were nothing short of desperate, but friendly nonetheless. Evidently, only the desperate part had made it past Naru's thick skull. _His_ responses were nothing short of rude and she didn't want to elaborate afterwards. Why try to make conversation with someone who obviously just didn't care? She was stuck, end of story.

But there was still one thing that was dead set in her mind, something she knew she had to say. And Naru was going to answer whether he liked it or not. She had to ask him about all of these books. Mai hadn't gotten anywhere in the giant almanac; she had fallen asleep after the first three pages. So how could he possibly be interested in ghosts enough to keep hundreds of book about them in his own personal library?

There was only one way to find out.

"_Ne, _Naru," Mai started again for what seemed like the twentieth time. Naru no longer bothered with looking up from his book. His long legs were stretched out across the sofa, the thick book perched in his lap, jet-black bangs hanging over dull eyes and framed reading glasses. The same indifferent Naru as always. "What's with all of the books being about ghosts and stuff like that? Why are there so many? They can't _all_ have something completely different to give, can they?"

There was a beat before Naru replied. "So you've been snooping around and reading when you were supposed to be working."

Mai blinked. That was his idea of a decent answer? "That doesn't tell me anything I just asked you!"

There was no beat of silence this time before Naru's quick tongue and wit lashed out at her again. "I never said it would."

With her grip forcibly tightening on the rag she was holding, Mai desperately tried to keep her cool and retorted, "You know, it's common courtesy when someone asks a question you're supposed to answer it."

Somehow, he managed to evade her comeback for a third time, merely saying, "It's common _sense_ to do your job as you're told."

_Ignore the books - that could be used for bashing his head in. Ignore the bookcases - which she could drop on him… somehow. Ignore the cleaning supplies - which she could spray in his eyes to blind him with. Just keep still so you don't strangle him or kick him and everything will be okay… as long as he keeps his mouth shut. _

"It's not like ghosts are real or anything," Mai grumbled to herself, turning back to her last bookcase, and kneeled down to the lowest level. She was so close to being done, so close… until Naru stifled a scoff. Mai looked back up at him with her eyes narrowed. He quickly collected himself and glared back up at her again like his composure had not been sacrificed whatsoever. He responded with a perfectly even monotone.

"You really believe that? That ghosts do not exist?"

It took Mai a few seconds to respond, slightly perplexed at his actions beforehand. "Well, yeah. There's no proof of a ghost's existence yet, even though there's reported hauntings and psychics and other useless crap like that. People just want to be famous. They just want attention. It's not actually _real._"

"Hn."

Mai shoved the newly dusted books back on the bottom self with a grunt and a half-satisfied smile after his last rejoinder. He was obviously unable to come up with anything better to say. And now she was done. Finished. Her job was complete. _Finally. _And then Naru, the smart-alecky, bubble-burster he was, had to go and destroy all of her pride.

"Don't look so accomplished. You still have the windows."

Mai groaned out loud, her head hung. It was always her that was stuck. Always, and she had no way to get out of it. Dragging her feet loudly across the floor, she gathered her supplies and made her way across the room to the crimson curtains. Mai cast a glance over her shoulder at Naru, still contentedly reading his book and pretending she didn't exist. She sighed softly, her daydreams taking over her mind completely. He really was handsome… all except for his eyes, always so cold and hostile. But she saw… she saw he _could_ be nice when he wanted to be, even if it was only in her one dream, she was convinced that she could see it come true.

And then the unexpected struck. Finally looking up from his book, he slowly took his thin reading glasses off and stared almost thoughtfully up at Mai. Purposefully and his words chosen carefully, he said, "I don't think it will be possible for you and I to get along in this place if you don't believe in ghosts."

_Because we totally got along before you knew I didn't believe in something a stupid as ghosts, _Mai scoffed inside her head sarcastically, but kept her head turned towards Naru. She couldn't deny she was intrigued. What was he going to do then?

"So… let me tell you a story and then we'll see whether you still don't believe in ghosts or not. Deal?"

Mai bit her lip, thinking. No work… no insults… just Naru telling her a story for the heck of it. He really did want her to believe him, didn't he? Mai spared a smile and nodded. Who could turn this down?

"Deal."

He pointed her to the chair facing the sofa across from him and Mai scrambled over with the rag, examining it. When she look back at him and cocked her head to the right with wide eyes, Naru exhaled sharply, exasperated at her ignorance.

"I meant for you to _sit_ in the chair. It doesn't need to be cleaned."

Realization dawned. "…Right. I knew that. I mean, sorry. Um, I'll sit now." Mai plopped herself down across from him, a bright red blush staining her cheeks. She dropped the musty rag on the ground at her feet and looked back up at him intently. Naru stared at the rag for a second in slight disgust, but then returned his attention to Mai. He began his story.

"A long time ago, in a house much like this one, a girl about your age was hired as a maid. She and all of the other hired servants all lived at the mansion together. But the girl, before she had left, had herd dozens of stories about the place she had been hired to work in. The house had an… interesting history. People were said to go missing in the dark of night. Screams were often heard from out of nowhere. And then people who went missing were replaced without a second thought. No one heard from them again, but no one really ever had the courage to ask.

"The house itself was constructed like a surreal painting. Stairs on the ceilings, window on the floor, doors that lead to nowhere, and dead-ended hallways. No one could get anywhere without a guide or a map of some kind if they were new. This new maid was foolish and didn't believe any of the so-called stories that warned her to be careful. She merely completed her jobs as she was told, but ignored any of the rules that were given with such caution.

"One night, when everything was silent and everyone who worked around the house had gone to sleep for the day, the maid was just heading to bed alone. She had heard that no one was supposed to wander the halls alone, but she had done it many times before and nothing bad had ever happened. But this night… this night was very different and would change her life forever."

Naru paused for an increase in tension, wetting his thin lips for a moment, and continued. Mai sat at rapt attention, keeping her eyes trained on Naru. Mai could have sworn her heart was beating loud enough that Naru could hear it - not because of the story, but because of his piecing gaze, his eyes more alive than she had ever seen them.

"The maid heard footsteps behind her, and turned to look. She saw nothing and so she continued forward. Right as she began to walk again, something grabbed her shoulder. And before the maid knew it, before she could scream, before she could wrench herself for the grip and run for help, before anything could happen at all - the maid found she had been paralyzed.

"Three more hands reached out to grab her and drag her backwards. The young maid could do _nothing_ about it."

Naru's voice had gone quiet and raspy, building the drama. This was truly the first time Mai had ever seen him so enthusiastic about anything. He went on, "She knew something was wrong. The maid could not speak, scream, or make any sort of noise to alert others in the house that she was in danger. Out of the corner of her eye, she managed to catch a glimpse of her kidnappers. Translucent hands held tight on her shoulders. The maid knew her suspicions had been false. No human could be this strong. No human had translucent hands. She knew, even though fear struck her as she thought it, that was had kidnapped her was not living.

"Further and further back she was pulled, more and more scared she became. Silence deafened her. Suddenly, she felt her heels drag across gravel and saw the door fade away in front of her. Hedges ran along the sides of her and an iron fist clenched her heart. She had heard far too many stories about this path. She was being led to her death. The young maid knew anything else was useless. Slowly, she closed her eyes and gave up.

"When she opened her eyes again, she found herself strapped to a lab table, the two men standing over her with a butcher knife."

Naru's jaw clenched shut and the open book on his lap clapped shut. Mai waited on bated breath for him to finish the story. And…? And, and, and…? The master didn't talk. His lips didn't even part again. Mai had to step in and ask for the ending herself.

"But - but - what happened? Did the girl survive?"

There was a glimmer of amusement in Naru's eyes as he stared at her for a long while, keeping their gaze locked and the room silent. Chills had already crawled up her back and were now spreading to her scalp and arms. Naru still did not respond. Mai tried to open her mouth, tried to interrupt again, but found she couldn't. No - she _wouldn't._ This moment was too precious to destroy. Mai would just have to wait until--

_BANG_.

Mai jumped and yelped at the same time as the door swung open, with the little teacup standing there in the entry. Breathing heavily, she realized it had only been the door opening. Beginning to return her attention to Naru, the reality of it suddenly hit her. Mai leapt up, forgetting about the ending of the horror story, and rushed to the door - the _open door_.

"You are my savior! I cannot thank you enough, really, you completely saved me from going insane! Thank you thank, thank you!" Mai gushed, wanting to hug the teacup, but couldn't find a way. Instead, she shot him another thankful smile. Mai could have sworn she saw him blush.

"Please don't tell Madoka I unlocked the door. Hurry, before she finds out…" John ushered her outside and down the hall, out of sight but not out of mind. Not for Naru, that is.

The young master still stood next to the sofa, his gaze still focused where Mai and John had just exited. He knew she hadn't finished the windows, but he didn't need to remind her of that now. Naru knew his tea would be brought to his office within the next quarter of an hour, and he knew that she would wait for her next job. Mai was predictable, he could say that much. But the gleam in his eyes betrayed nothing, just as he had trained himself and his emotions to be a long time ago. But it looked like his friends were right - nothing could stay the same for long, not with that impertinent little servant around, anyway. His soft sigh finally answered Mai's overlooked and disregarded question.

"I hope she did."

* * *

Coming out of the kitchen with the hot tray of tea for Naru, Mai pranced obliviously down the halls, humming happily. After John had escorted her back to the kitchen, Mai had followed orders like Naru had said and made him his tea. They seemed to have an unending stock of the tea leaves for Naru alone. Really, how much would these servants do for their master?

Mai turned the corner, looking up and down the dark, dingy halls. This place needed a little brightness, a little liveliness added to its message of gloom. All the curtains were made of the same heavy material that hung in the library. The curtains, when completely closed, were like another wall - no light filtered though at all. Her next job, self-proclaimed of course, would be to run through this entire mansion and open all of the curtains. It was the middle of the day! The sun should be visible, at least.

Mai looked even farther down the hall. Had something just moved down there? Curiously, Mai slipped forward, expecting to see Ayako or Bou-san or maybe even Madoka wandering the halls. But, no, there was something else. A man. Black hair, black slacks, and a white button-up dress shirt. At first, she thought was Naru. There were no other people in this house and that was the only possibly answer. But as she looked closer, however, she saw Naru was not this tall, his hair was not that long and did not hang in front of his face like that, and this man - it simply couldn't be - this man was… _transparent_.

Mai blinked. The image did not waver. The tray shook slightly in her hands and she took a hasty step backward. Naru's story flooded back into her mind. She had never even heard the ending, but somehow, her gut was that it wasn't a happily ever after. The tray crashed to the ground and the man looked up, eyes wide. Mai had already turned on her heel and fled. Maybe Naru was right. Maybe ghosts _did_ exist. There was only one way to find out.

"Taniyama-san!" Lin's voice called out behind her, but she did not stop. Her legs wouldn't let her stop. No, there was only one person she had to talk to now. And she needed to find him fast.

A slightly harried Lin watched the young girl run down the hall and turn out of sight. He closed his eyes halfway and sighed heavily. Boy, was he going to get an earful from Naru - not to mention _Madoka_. He turned nonchalantly and decided to pretend this whole thing never happened. It was for the best. Who was Naru _really_ going to believe? Mai or Lin?

The tea lay utterly forgotten on the ground.

* * *

**A/N: Please tell me _someone_ recognizes that story Naru told. Please. Well, there's nothing else I can think of, except: please review!**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Ack, I apologize a million times for the insane wait! This was a hard chapter to write. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter; y'all made my day. Hope you enjoy chapter ten!**

**Disclaimer: Seriously. I don't even own Naru's special mirror in this story.**

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Chapter 9: His Logic

Mai rocketed down the halls, her heart beating painfully against her ribcage, thinking only one thing. Naru's words had been eerily right. That had been a _ghost_, there was no doubting it. Now she didn't know what to think. She _had_ to tell Naru. But what if he already knew? Wouldn't he have told her the mansion they were currently living in was haunted when he was telling her his ghost story? Sure, she wouldn't have believed him then - but now… now it was a _whole_ different story. She didn't notice anything whizzing past her on the way to Naru's office until she nearly tripped over the teapot and was sent sprawling to the ground.

"Mai, dear!" Madoka said, her tone slightly scolding. "Where in the world are you going so fast?"

Mai, already up and dusting herself off, searched desperately in her mind for some sort of decent answer that didn't make her sound completely delusional. Maybe if Madoka believed her, she'd actually have a chance with talking to Naru. She saw a ghost, plain and simple. But now that she really thought about the logic of it all, it really did sound like she was losing her mind. How could she put it?

"I - I saw a man. In the manor. And… and he wasn't Naru," Mai said, her voice growing steadily stronger with every false word. Could Madoka really believe this lie? "And I didn't know if there were any other people in this castle. I didn't think there was, but I wanted to make sure, because it might have been a burglar, so I dropped my stuff and ran for Naru's office." Mai winced slightly at the shady lie, knowing it was complete crap.

But, for some reason, Madoka seemed to be taking it all in. Mai waited for some sort of recognition, some kind of go-ahead from Madoka before she could realize that this seemingly little white lie was snowballing faster than Mai would have liked. She was only missing a _few_ details… only that the man she saw was…

"Madoka, there was one other thing I forgot to mention," Mai blurted, ready to test her luck. Madoka looked up and tore herself from her thoughts, her eyes wide and alert. Biting her lip hard and weighing her options, Mai felt this was the only way she could know vaguely what Naru would think of it. "The man… he, um… hewastransparent."

Refusing to look Madoka in the eyes, Mai stared determinedly at her black dress shoes, waiting for laughter or mocking of some kind. After several moments of just plain silence, she dared a peek at the teapot. What she saw was not what she had been expecting. The glint in Madoka's eyes went from slightly curious to murderous in less than three seconds. Mai blinked, hesitating at the nerve-wracking change of emotion, and waited for Madoka to speak again.

"What did he look like?" she asked slowly, evenly, just enough to keep the deadly edge from her voice. Mai ignored Madoka's tone, but couldn't help but wonder why in the world it would matter what his appearance was. Nonetheless, Mai tried to remember as much as she could. She _had_ only seen him for a few seconds, after all.

"Well, he was wearing a white shirt, black pants, and, er, he had black hair…" she supplied uselessly, knowing full well this description sounded very much like Naru. Mai had never seen _Naru _in a white shirt, though. She had actually never seen him in anything but black. Madoka didn't seem to mind the Naru-like description, however, because she was taking it all in as the hard truth, which was something Mai greatly appreciated. Maybe she'd have a chance at getting Naru to believe her now, too.

"He was pretty tall too… taller than Naru," Mai said, grasping at the last images in her mind. Madoka gave a slightly harsh burst of laughter, but she couldn't have been laughing at Mai. She barely seemed to be paying any attention to Mai. If anything, she was remembering something else…

"Did you see his face?" Madoka wondered out loud, her voice heavily persistent, and wandering closer. If she had seen his face at all, she didn't remember it. Mai shook her head, tugging at her sleeve, which suddenly seemed stiffer than it had all morning.

"I only saw the side of him. Uh, why do any of these questions matter?" Mai asked abruptly, unsure of why Madoka was talking this all so seriously. Maybe if she had seen a little more surprise or disbelief in Madoka's reaction, Mai would have been a little less uncomfortable answering these questions. But all she seemed to be getting from Madoka was subtle anger and curiosity.

But her question before fell on deaf ears as Madoka gave another brief, vaguely sadistic smile and muttered under her breath, "That probably was a good thing, I suppose."

Mai cocked her head, not sure if she heard Madoka right. Good thing? What was good about a ghost in the mansion she was living in or possibly seeing illusions that weren't actually there? Mai couldn't find an upside to that. "A… a good thing?" she sputtered, trying to make sense of it all. "Um… care to explain why?"

Madoka looked briefly surprised, like Mai had just asked to where the poison was to put in Naru's tea, (not like she'd actually _think_ of doing that…) but she quickly returned to her calm state again, blinking innocently as she answer, "Oh, nothing. It doesn't concern you. You best be off to tell Naru then, don't you think?" The finalizing tone in Madoka's voice clearly showed that this conversation was over, end of story. Mai's gaze flicked back and forth from Madoka's expectant expression and the end of the hall, where, if she just turned the corner, she would reach Naru's office. After several tense moments of hesitation, Mai finally nodded and took off uneasily. Maybe her conversation about the ghost would go much smoother with Naru…

…Or maybe she was just digging herself into a hole. A very, very confusingly deep hole. Either way, she was too persistent about this matter to let it slip. She waved to Madoka before disappearing out of sight. The teapot watched Mai leave and swiftly began bounding the other way, her aura dark. _Someone_ had a lot of explaining to do… and thanks to Mai, she knew exactly who to target.

* * *

_Tap. Tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Taptaptap—_

"Just come in, Mai," she heard Naru growl through the closed door, obviously annoyed with the constant knocking. She quickly let herself in, banging the large door shut behind her. He nearly blended into the black wing-backed leather chair he was seated in, except for his pale face and deep eyes which seemed to never unlock from her own gaze. He set whatever he was reading (another ghost book?) down on his desk. His eyes narrowed as soon as he saw Mai had come devoid of any tea.

"Is there something you need? I suppose you must have a reason you did not do as you were told." His condescending tone did not turn her away for once. Mai stepped farther in, desperately wanting to be heard. She had to get this across to him.

"Yes, I – I _do_ have a good reason," she began hopefully, feeling ridiculously tiny under his scrutiny. "And, well… I think – what I mean is – I remembered your story and—" No proper string of words would come together. He was making her too nervous! God, who could possibly get anything comprehensible out under that gaze?

"Sometime this century would be nice, Mai," he nearly drawled, getting a more over-the-top response than he had been waiting for. Mai clenched her jaw, prepared for the worst, and hoped for the best. Here goes nothing.

"Okay! Well, before I sawthisman anditwasn'tyou, and hewastransparent andIthinkyouwererightaboutghostsbecause Ijustsawone!" she said all at once, staring determinedly at her feet, her voice coming out high and chirpy. Her words hung in the silence. Naru stared back, not saying a word. His lips were pressed in a thin line and he almost looked angry. What was he going to do? Should she wait and see his reaction—or make a run for it?

Naru remained impassive, however, and stood from his desk. The black chair slid back almost too forcefully. It seemed like he was doing his best to act like he didn't care. Mai's heart jumped at this sudden insight. Oh, God. His reaction confirmed it. She was living in a haunted house. And his story – his _story…_ Ice plunged into her stomach. She only needed to know one more thing.

Did that story happen here? Did it actually happen? Mai was shaken from the reality of it all. She could be dragged away and murdered tonight for all she knew. A wave of dread hit her full on and a sweat broke out along her forehead. She was in way too deep. What was happening to her?

Naru's blunt voice brought her head back down from the clouds and snapped her from her own little nightmare. He dashed her whole train of consciousness as he said, "I believe you are taking this a little far." It took a few seconds to register what he had just said.

"_What?!_" she suddenly burst, throwing her arms up in the air. A mocking smirk was all she received. He was _enjoying_ this like it was some kind of circus routine. Like she was something to be gawked at. She didn't care what he had to say. She knew for _certain_ she had seen a ghost. No one was going to sway her. But Naru was going to have his say whether she wanted to hear it or not.

"Do I need to repeat myself every time you do not pay attention? I'd have a sore throat by the end of the day." His expression seemed to ridicule her even more. He continued with the same demeaning tone. "Don't try to fool me, Mai. I know very well you merely made up that ridiculous story to get out of your chores for tonight. It's not going to work."

"But – but–" she tried to explain, putting together sentences that only made sense in her head. "There _are_ ghosts! You were the one who told me that not believing in ghosts was stupid as well! And I am _not_ trying to get out of my chores; I'm telling you about something that I think is _serious_!"

Her tone went from pleading to insistent to indignant, her face lined with earnest. Naru stared back, raising an eyebrow. Mai shrunk away from the empty stare he was giving her. It felt like she was being X-rayed. Mai felt an odd twist in her stomach and knew right then she needed to run for cover or she would be sorry she _ever_ brought this up.

"Listen to me, Mai, and listen well. You know nothing of this house. You know nothing of ghosts. You know nothing of the supernatural. Do not just assume you know more than me about a place where you have lived for merely two days. I don't remember ever saying that you must believe in ghosts. I was telling you a story to pass the time and I was merely surprised someone as young as you did not believe. You were skeptical and I only wanted you to see the other side of things. To lighten up. I accept the fact that you believe in ghosts. But in no way did that mean _you_ had to go making up lies."

Naru paused for a second, subtly catching his breath, but just as fast as he had cut himself off, the haughty tone continued, making Mai grind her teeth. "Now, you're dismissed. I want tea before you retire to dinner. Good night." Naru sat back in his chair, swiveled back around so he could not see her any more, and left her dumbstruck.

What – _what_ had just happened? He had changed his mind about _everything_. He was telling her to lighten up? He needed to take another look in that pretty little mirror of his. And she was not making up lies! Why would she possibly lie about something like this? She opened her mouth to protest again, but was cut off by his authoritative, demanding voice. He hadn't even been looking at her and he knew she was going to object.

"The door is behind you. If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind leaving? I actually do have work to finish."

And that was that. Naru's word was law (no matter how heavily sarcastic it was) and being a lowly servant, Mai could unfortunately do nothing to fight that. Mai backed her way from the office, rubbing her eyes. Remembering his last order, she hadn't even noticed she skipped both her breakfast and lunch. She guessed the mind-numbing hours she spent trapped in the library with Naru had been longer than she thought. Right now, thinking hurt her brain too much. She'd just get something to eat in the kitchen before bringing Naru his tea (screw his orders; she was hungry) and pass out in bed directly afterwards.

But even though Naru thought he had crushed her imagination, he had done exactly the opposite. She would be looking for that ghost again and looking for more signs that she was right. She slipped down the hallways, mindlessly walking toward the kitchen.

She was so tired she didn't realize she was falling asleep on her feet.

She was so tired she didn't even realize she had already stopped.

Mai was out.

When she opened her eyes again, she was again in that never-ending oblivion of blackness. She was back in that dreamland state. Huh. She wondered when she had fallen asleep. She couldn't even remember eating dinner. As she looked down at herself, she saw that she was glowing ever so slightly. She slowly lifted her fingers in front of her face and wiggled them, gazing in awe. Her dreams simply could not be beat.

Even though Mai seemed to light up like some kind of odd human flashlight, she could barely see what was in front of her. She dared her luck by taking a step at a time, waiting for her eyes to adjust. What was she going to see? Another ghost? Another person? Or maybe…

"Hello, Mai. Welcome back."

Right then, Mai decided she was never going to understand Naru.

* * *

Naru was thinking.

So to explain everything he was thinking about in a word: yes. Yes, he felt bad about lying to the girl. Yes, he knew that he would pay dearly for it. Yes, he knew that everyone was still plotting. Yes, he knew she was their only hope. Yes, he had heard all of this before. And, yes — he knew he was running out of time. They all knew that. But what was Naru to do? He would not spill his secret to her. That could put _him_ in even more danger than _she_ was already – and Mai didn't even know it.

He raised his head to look out at the starry night sky. It was just on a harmless night like this one that it happened. These silent nights reminded him of the night their lives changed, even though he'd never dare show it. Most of the time on these nights, he couldn't bear himself. What an idiot he had been…

Naru didn't like to think of himself as foolish or unintelligent. In fact, he had a hatred for anything shameful attributed to his name. But he could feel the change coming. Part of him wanted that change to come. Part of him wanted to keep it away and stay away from it forever. Just by looking at Mai, he knew that very soon he would have to adjust, whether he was ready for that change or not. It wasn't like he would give in willingly, however… He would just have to watch and wait and see what happened.

And ever so slowly, he tugged that silver mirror out of its drawer again.

He would see if Mai had been telling the truth about ghosts.

After all, the ghosts knew they weren't supposed to come out yet.

* * *

**A/N: Chapter ten is **_**finished**_**. Awesome. My updates may be coming a bit slower now because I just started high school and I'm behind on homework already. And unfortunately, school always comes first. I just have to get back on track and wait for what comes my way. I'll still be working hard on this story… just maybe less often. Anyway, I wanted to say that.**

**Please review! **


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: *hides from readers* Can I say one word? NaNoWriMo. Does that explain the lateness of this chapter? If not, sorry, but I made sure this chapter was extra-long as an extra-special sorry. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ghost Hunt, the apology Naru gives at the end of the English anime (the extra scene!) would be way more drawn out. Way, **_**way**_** more drawn out.**

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Chapter 10: Balcony

For just a few seconds in that black oblivion, the scenery blurred. The hovering lights distorted. Naru even seemed to disappear and reappear again. Mai could not help but feel herself sway slightly. But the lightheadedness and odd images faded as quickly as they had come. She paused. She knew she was asleep. But then… why did she notice such minute details? She even could see the concern flicker past Naru's eyes as he noticed the difference as well. Naru soon brushed it off as if nothing had happened, but Mai couldn't even assure herself. Maybe it was only a dream, and she had nothing to worry about, but something in her gut told her otherwise.

"Naru?"

He looked up with a complacent smile. "You're back."

Mai could not help but grin in return. Why couldn't he act like this normally? It would make life so much easier – for everyone. She stepped forward with a steady rhythm, her arms limp at her sides. "I guess I am," she said enthusiastically. Her voice sounded detached and airier than usual. She tilted her chin up to take clearer look at him. Why did he look so welcoming now? Why not normally, when she was absolutely positive she was not dreaming? She gave a small sigh and dropped her head. She knew if Naru was acting nicer it was too good to be true.

"What am I doing here?" Mai asked, lacing her fingers together.

"I'll show you. Follow me." With those words, he took off. Mai had no choice but to rush and see where he was going. It seemed too good to miss.

The black nothingness around Naru and her seemed to stretch on for eternity. Mai could not see anything other than Naru, herself, and the white lights hovering before them. The lights were always just a bit too far away for her too reach. She could hear her footsteps patter on the nonexistent ground, but for some reason she noticed, not Naru's. A sharp prickling ran up her as the blackness suddenly morphed into a carpeted hallway leading up to a set of white double doors.

"Here we are." Naru turned to her again, a new expression upon his face that Mai just couldn't place. Like the lights in the void, the meaning to the expression was barely – just _barely_ – out of reach. But it was out of reach nonetheless. "Do you recognize anything, Mai?"

Mai glanced around again, taking in the surroundings, but she knew where she was without a second try. She could not forget this hallway where she had just happened upon the door and out of sheer curiosity taken a peek inside. But Bou-san had caught her before she could make anything out. Naru had promptly forbidden her from the offending wing of the manor and then had dismissed it.

"Of course I recognize it," Mai said. She brushed her bangs hastily away from her eyes and looked back up at Naru eagerly. Even though this was a dream, and she knew it, the wing looked identical to its real-world counterpart. Her subconscious could not _possibly_ get every detail this close. But every dusty lamp, the twisted and braided orange-gold fringe on the red carpets, the blood-colored drapes, even the cobwebs seemed to be in place, just like she remembered. It was weird, really… "It's the West Wing."

"Correct," Naru replied. He sighed softly, shifting his weight, and somberly looked up at the doors. A new tension pressed down on her shoulders when Naru did not continue. Mai wriggled uncomfortably under this awkward and painful silence. She was not exactly sure where this conversation was headed, but she was positive staring off into space was not one of Naru's goals for the night.

"Ah… Naru? Are you… okay?" Mai asked, concern deepening her words. Naru paused and snapped from his trance. After a few quick blinks, he gave a curt nod; a signal he had at least heard Mai. He did not utter a word and only remained unsure of himself. Mai furrowed her eyebrows and watched as he cautiously approached the white doors. She didn't even try to follow. It just did not feel right.

Naru almost seemed to be regretting step he took, all the while growing more hesitant. His pale white hand reached for the door knob. Mai leaned forward in anticipation, wondering if she was actually going to get to see the inside of the forbidden room. Of course, this was her dream, and she had only glimpsed inside the room for a second. Whatever was in there was not going to be the real thing, no matter how desperately she wished for it.

But all of a sudden, at the very last second, he slipped away. His arm fell limply to his side. Naru swore hoarsely under his breath, eyes darting everywhere except to the doors. Mai couldn't help but feel a crushing disappointment sweep over her. Oh… _so _close.

"Even I dare not go in there anymore. That room – just that room – has not been touched in nearly four years."

Questions swelled in her throat, begging and pleading to burst out into the open and be answered. The look on Naru's face struck daggers at her heart. She knew she shouldn't say anything; he looked too heartbroken. But _why_? _Why _did this upset him? And it was with that her silence broke.

"Why? Why did you forbid me from the West Wing? Why aren't I allowed in only that one place? I – I just don't get it!"

Her chest heaved, an unwanted pout painted her lips, and her eyes were set in determination. Naru simply stared back. His eyes shone oddly bright, emotions exploding into fireworks beneath cyan. A small smirk curled over his lips and he cocked his head ever so slightly. Mai's knees nearly buckled.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

With that, he turned and walked away from the double doors.

"Never enter that room, Mai. Never."

The words echoed painfully in her ears. Mai stared after him longingly and realized she still had not received a straight answer from the master. She wrung her hands, unsure of what she should do. Naru did not seem to falter in his steps nor did he look like he was going to backtrack. Despair tugged on her heart and with a deep breath, she began to run after him.

"You have a total of one hundred days left," he began without turning around. If anything, his strides began to speed up. "One hundred days beginning this Friday to be exact. When _our_ fifteen hundred days are up, we lose everything. When _your_ hundred days are up your presence here will mean nothing anymore."

"What in the world does that mean?" Mai yelped with an inconsolable tremor in her voice. It was getting harder and harder to keep up with him now. His tone was bordering on dangerous, but Mai wanted to get to the bottom of this whole ordeal too much to let his manner obstruct the answers.

"You'll find out in time. Just keep following me."

The minutes ticked along as they raced around corners and sped down the hallways of the dark manor. Naru knew exactly where he was going but didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. He also didn't bother to mention where exactly they were headed. Halting suddenly, he flung open a pair of double doors and led Mai outside into the night.

Mai stepped out onto a small patio, her black shoes clicking against the stone tiles. Moonlight washed over the ledge that had been converted into a small seating area. A wall about a meter high a little ways in front of her closed off the area. Naru finally turned and gave her a slightly forced but nevertheless warm-hearted smile.

"I doubt I've taken you here before," he said softly, holding his hand out so Mai would take it and come forward. She placed her hand in his with a slight blush and let herself be pulled farther outside. "We're still on the third floor so be careful out here. It's a high fall all the way down there."

"It's so pretty though…" Mai whispered, stepping forward farther into the light, wanting to peer over the edge. "I actually feel free out here. Not trapped in the house like I usually do."

Naru's grip on her hand tightened as he jerked her arm back. He dared not go farther than a few steps. Mai stood beside him contently and did not question his actions.

"I always used to love coming out here and sitting on one of the chairs to just look out at the horizon, day or night. It was always so peaceful out here. No one other than me and—" He stopped short suddenly. Mai could see the whites all the way around his eyes. Her heart lurched uneasily, but before she had the chance to ask what was wrong, he simply shook his head and continued.

"No one other than me could find this place. It was much quieter than inside, where Takigawa and Ayako were always bickering or trying to strangle each other."

Mai giggled. The times now were no different. "Well, why don't you come out to the patio anymore? I wouldn't bother you; not if you didn't want me to. And I'm sure everyone else would leave you alone, too, if you just told them. You can come out here anytime you wish."

Mai attempted a comforting expression, but Naru did the opposite of what she expected. The kind smile slowly slipped to a heartbreaking one. The blue eyes darkened. His pallid face cleansed itself of all emotions. The master gazed up at the moon and dropped Mai's hand, avoiding his response. Mai's stomach flipped and her eyes widened in concern. Had she said something wrong?

"Remember everything you see, Mai. You _must_ remember. That's all I can say for now. I wish I could help more. Good night."

Mai's throat constricted, but she tried to say something, tried to understand his words – words that seemed more like a warning than anything else. Naru stepped back into the house and vanished before her eyes. Mai stepped back a couple of times, leading herself back towards the wall.

Remember what? And why?

Mai clenched her fists and tilted her head back, moaning quietly. She just wanted a straight answer for once. She turned as soon as she felt something bump against her back. Mai at first thought it was the barrier, but as she turned her saw the wall was another meter away. She swiveled around on her heel and her heart jumped in her chest. What had that been?

A chilling breeze swept over her back, causing the hairs on her neck to stand up. Against her will, her feet were drawn together and suddenly she couldn't move. Something pinched at her right hip and kept its hold as she struggled to break free. The grip now latched onto her left shoulder, dragging her back. Even using all of her strength, there was no way she was going to get away from the invisible captor. All at once, Mai lost her balance. She fell backwards.

Farther, farther, farther - until all sense of direction was gone.

* * *

Mai's eyes shot open. She found herself staring at the dark canopy above her bed, twisted up in her own sheets. A shadow beside her fizzled away as light filtered in through the windows. Slowly, she sat up and looked around. Here she was, back in her room – with no idea how she got there. She'd fallen asleep in the hallway. She knew it, she remembered it, she was absolutely positive of the fact.

Mai ran a hand through her hair and whimpered softly. Was 'confused' the only emotion she was able to feel here? Mai slumped back against the pillows and tried to brush the feeling off. She was just making a big deal out of something that was very little. She had probably woken up and walked herself back here, and just didn't remember. If that wasn't the case, Naru might have found her and led her back. She blushed immediately at the thought of it, but knew otherwise.

_Like Naru, of all people, would do something like that,_ her mind mentioned dryly. Mai ignored her own conscience. She needed to get ready, not waste her time on wishful thinking. She began to loosen the sheets from around her legs and noticed she had fallen asleep in her clothes. Nevertheless, a new outfit was laid out at the bottom her bed for her to wear today. She almost began to wonder once more who had put those there, but shoved the emotions away.

She just needed to learn to accept the happenings here and deal with it. Maybe then she would finally come to peace with her environment. It was certainly one way to deal with the situation. Slipping her fingers across the blanket her mother had made (it had been the first thing she packed when she had been summoned to this place), Mai started her third day at Shibuya Manor.

The morning continued like before – snippy comments from Masako, no sign of life from Yasuhara, and the warm shower greeting her a little too brightly for the early morning. She delivered Naru's tea without question or complaining, mainly because she knew she had forgotten it last night, and waited for her orders for the day.

And for once, her day was normal. Naru treated her like a person, and not a diminutive little bug under his shoe. The servants were happy to talk with her all day, leading her around the house, and even helping her with tasks that they were able to do. Takigawa helped light up the ballroom that Ayako helped her sweep and dust. John helped her prepare part of the master's dinner. (Naru was obnoxiously precise about what he wanted.) And even though Lin didn't participate much in the 'talking' department, he was a huge help in navigating her around the castle.

The one person she didn't see all day, however, was Madoka. And although Mai found it odd that the talkative teapot did not show up, she supposed she had better things to do. Masako and Yasuhara, of course, were stuck in her room and no one knew what Naru was doing. No one really bothered to find out for themselves.

And at exactly six-seventeen that evening after her eventful dinner with John and Takigawa in the kitchen, consisting of a miniature-scale food fight and an interesting conversation about Ayako's habits, Mai collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. She blew her bangs from her eyes feebly, just to have them fall right back in place again. She moaned softly when her legs refused to move.

"Another rough day?" Mai tilted her head back and looked at an upside-down Yasuhara grinning.

"Hey, it was better than the last two days. I can say that much. I just don't think I've walked up and down staircases that many times in one day…" Yasuhara chuckled again, but didn't say anything else. Mai wanted to sleep, wanted to close her eyes, and wanted to let the soreness in her legs leave her until the morning (when, of course, she had to start all over again) but her subconscious wouldn't let her. Mai opened her eyes, glaring down the windows.

A pink horizon peeked out at her, teasing her. There would be no sleep for her unless it became dark. Because that time coming did not arrive for another hour or so, Mai had to choice but to see what else she could do in the house to keep herself occupied.

Mai pulled herself from the bed and let her hand drop to the quilts, reaching to touch her mother's blanket instinctively. But to her shock, her hand simply fell to the silky bedspread. Mai looked down at the bed and her eyes widened. Her heart jerked in her chest and for what seemed like hours, her breath lodged in her throat.

Her mother's blanket was gone.

Just this morning, she had seen it, touched it, slept under it. The small patchwork couldn't have gotten far in less than twelve hours. It just couldn't. Mai pulled up the purple top cover and reached frantically underneath the other quilts, hoping in vain that she would find it misplaced under there. She had no such luck.

"What in the world are you scrabbling for?" Masako yawned, her glare dull. Mai didn't bother to reply, but began to tear up her room, looking for that one blanket that meant the world to her. The only thing left she had from her family – the tattered memories of her family – was currently missing. She needed to find it. There were no questions asked.

"My blanket. The one my mother made for me right before she died," Mai muttered, her tone strained. Masako coughed slightly, but didn't say anything in return. Mai growled under her breath, yanking open drawers, throwing back curtains, turning the room upside down.

"I don't think you'll find it in here, Mai-chan." Yasuhara spoke up suddenly. Mai stood up from searching under her bed and glared at the bookcase. His eyes betrayed none of his thoughts or emotions. Advancing, Mai replied as calm as she could.

"Where would it be then?"

Yasuhara didn't respond for a while. When he did, it wasn't the answer Mai had wanted to hear. "I… suggest you ask Naru."

Mai huffed angrily, but knew she was going to get no other response. She sped from the room towards Naru's office, hoping her would know where her most prized possession was. She was going to kill him if he had taken it from her, no matter what the consequences. Even if she had done something he had not approved of, and this was her punishment, she thought taking the quilt was too far below the belt – even for Naru.

Mai passed Lin on her way there without a word. He gazed at her as she flew past, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes halfway and ignored the guilt pressing against his throat. As Madoka said, what they were doing was all for the better. Everything would work itself out in the end – they were sure of it. They needed to give their all for their second chance. They were lucky they even had this chance.

"Naru!" Mai yelled. She didn't bother to knock on his office door and didn't slow herself until she reached his desk. Slamming down both hands onto the table, she saw him jump as she glared him down. Mai had caught him off guard. "Na-naru, have you seen the quilt that was on my bed earlier? It-it's no bigger than half a meter by half a meter, and it was a patchwork with dark blue and maroon squares. Yasuhara-san said I should ask you!"

Naru stared back at her with widened eyes. He finally showed the first signs emotions on his face – taken aback. Mai didn't bother reveling at this new development.

"No. No, I haven't. Why?"

"My mother made it. It's the last thing I have from my family; I need to find it!" Her voice cracked on her last words, but she bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. Naru stared at her for a moment longer, but stood with an unexpected start. Mai backed up instinctively, but heard the opposite of what she expected.

"I'll help."

Mai's heart raced and a grateful smile burst across her face. Without another word, Naru pushed past her and beckoned her from the room. Mai slipped out the door with him and jogged beside him to keep up. She never knew his attitude could change so quickly.

"Where did you last see the quilt?"

"My-my bed, this morning. I went out to do the things you told me to do today and when I came back, it was just… gone. I tore my room apart looking for it, but Yasuhara and Masako said I needed to ask you if I wanted to find it." Mai couldn't help but keep the desperate edge away from her voice. She adored that quilt too much to bother.

"I have a feeling I know where it is, but I can't be too sure. This is exactly like the library yesterday. What are they getting at?" Naru said more to himself than to Mai. Mai looked up at him, unconsciously chewing on her lower lip. How could her quilt being stolen relate to when the two of them were locked in the library a day previously?

"I don't know what's getting into them. My servants are normally much more civil than this."

Realization slapped in her the face. The servants stole her blanket?

"No, not all of them," Naru gazed at her over her shoulder. Mai jumped. It was like he had read her mind. "It was Madoka, mainly. Yesterday's… events also came from her mind. She seems to think that…" Naru narrowed his eyes and trailed off. "No. Never mind."

Mai opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced by a warning look from Naru that seemed to say, 'If you ask you question, you will surely regret it later.' She had no idea that very soon, she would find out why the servants were acting so out of character, as Naru said. She had no idea she was the very reason for it.

"How dare they go out there," Naru hissed under his breath. His tone had hardened all of a sudden and he had tensed up. "That one place… They know. They know."

Mai's expression had changed from blank to perplexed.

"Follow," was the one word Naru barely managed out before taking off down the hallways, past two very familiar looking doors and down a pathway Mai thought she had already traveled down before. By the time Naru swung open two glass-paned doors, Mai was completely out of breath. She leaned against the doorframe to steady herself and gazed out into the early night. As she did, her heart caught in her throat.

Staring at the ground, ignoring his surroundings apprehensively, Naru spotted cloth peeking out from a shadow. "Just as I thought." Naru swiftly knelt beneath one of the fading chairs and snatched the blanket from the corner. Mai stepped out behind him, and instantly recognized the balcony.

"This is…" Mai gasped, but had no time to take in the scenery. With one harsh shove, Naru had dropped her blanket back into her arms and turned her around to head back inside. He slammed the French doors behind him shut more forcefully than was needed. Mai was too preoccupied to notice.

"Thank you," she whispered, rubbing it against her cheek and completely forgetting about the fact that the patio on the third floor of the manor looked very similar to what she had seen in her dream last night. Identical, in fact. The familiar scratchiness of the cloth reassured her. The blanket was safe. Her mother's memory remained. Mai looked back up at Naru, trying to find better words. None came to mind. Once more, she said, "Thank you. So much."

Naru simply nodded. Any words he wanted to say escaped from him as well as he gazed down at his brunette servant. He denied the small butterflies in his stomach and blamed it on not having enough dinner. "It's not a problem. Now… get to bed. This doesn't excuse you from your chores tomorrow, or any other day."

Mai could only smile. "I wouldn't expect it to."

Naru watched Mai disappear back into the darkness, laughing to herself quietly. He exhaled softly, but turned on his heel. Naru was not heading back toward his office, but toward the kitchen. Unbridled fury burned in his ribcage. Naru never thought that she would go this low. He never thought they were this impulsive to go so far. He couldn't believe it.

"Madoka," he called out, in a tone that meant business as he slammed the kitchen door open. The teapot poked around the corner while mutterings of, 'damn it,' and, 'run for it,' were heard from the kitchen doorways. Everyone had fled in a matter of seconds.

Naru crouched down to her level. Madoka matched his even glare with a pleasant, unruffled expression of her own. "Can I help you, Naru?" she asked with an overly sweet smile. Naru resisted from rolling his eyes.

"What in the world did you do, Madoka?" he bit out. Madoka blinked innocently, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

"I don't understand the question," she replied breezily. Naru's gaze intensified.

"I believe you do."

The glint in Madoka's eyes grew brighter all of a sudden. Naru's fists slowly clenched at his sides, wanting an answer – and a damn good one at that. Her actions were just too awful to fully believe. The teapot tilted forward then backward on her base, the excited smile never leaving her expression. Every time Naru showed a notch more of emotion, Madoka's glee seemed to grow.

Her offbeat and off topic question threw him. Unfortunately, Naru knew what she meant.

"Well, it's working, though, isn't it?"

Naru didn't dignify those words with a response. He didn't want to admit the truth.

* * *

**A/N: I'm not moving too fast, am I? I hope not. Anyways, review please!**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: I have no excuse for the lateness of this chapter. I just hope you like it. The creepiness/goriness of the first part of this chapter compensates for the total fluffiness at the end. Thanks for reading!**

**(PS, I met Travis Willingham – the English voice of Takigawa, for any of y'all who don't know. Oh, my God, was he hot. And I got his autograph. -squee!-)**

**If I owned Ghost Hunt, I would have met everyone else on the English cast and I would have gotten their autographs, too. But I haven't.**

**

* * *

**

_New and a bit alarming  
Who'd have ever thought that it could be?  
True that he's no Prince Charming  
But there's something in him that I simply didn't see_

* * *

Chapter 11: Something There

And so weeks passed. Days in and out of sheer normalcy – something Mai appreciated greatly. Well, only if normal included talking to moving objects and obeying odd orders from a master barely older than herself. Mai continued to remember the dire warning the Naru in her dreams had told her. If she had counted right, she now had eighty-eight days left… whatever that meant.

She wasn't going to forget the warnings issued to her, even if they were just in her dreams. She had eighty-eight days to do what? She hadn't had a dream since then, although it was getting harder not to think about her dream Naru day in and out. Sometimes Mai would find herself in the middle of making tea thinking about it, and only be awakened from her daydream by the sharp whistle of the teapot.

The tea-making only reminded her of her reality. Naru was not caring, was not compassionate, was not her prince coming to rescue her – was not who she wanted him to be. Ever so slowly, she was getting used to that unfortunate fact. She wished her life would finally stop throwing her these surprises - Mai had to admit she sort of missed her mundane life. Maybe fate would give her a break soon enough. Maybe, if she just kept wishing on that one lucky star…

It was much too soon in her story for the cruel games to stop.

Night met her again. She crawled into bed, nursing the hand she had burnt on the teapot after dinner. It was actually a surprise to her that she hadn't received a burn until today, seeing that she had made at least three full kettles per day – and whenever she came back to retrieve them, they were empty. Mai checked her palm again, tracing gently over the red mark. She recalled the day's incident with a smile.

Naru had offered to retrieve the ice for her. She had immediately felt blood rush to her face and had shaken her head incessantly. Politely as she could, she declined with as little words as possible, knowing she'd make a fool of herself somehow if she said too much. Naru watched her with a stern glare, shook his head, and dragged her all the way back to the kitchen anyway.

He had said while he forcefully held her hand under the freezing water that she would be useless if she could only use one hand. Mai couldn't manage to say anything more except a soft, "Thanks," as he shoved the cloth-covered ice into her arms. She felt the servants watching their every move from the cupboards. If Naru had noticed, he paid them no mind.

And now the day's events were over and she was tired as hell, just like any other day spent here. She couldn't believe that her stay had only been a little over two weeks – it felt like an eternity. The words, 'eighty-eight days left' rang through her mind like a plague… and she couldn't figure out what they meant for the life of her.

Mai sunk under her sheets, ran her fingers back through her hair, and flopped down on her pillows. It was a mystery for another day… because, before she knew it, she was asleep and her dreams were back. As Mai wandered through these familiar hallways, looking for a face she recognized, she wondered why it was so silent. Always had she appeared before Naru and everything he had engaged her in conversation or adventure.

And now, all of a sudden, it was different.

"Don't – don't…" Mai stopped dead in her tracks. A frightened voice faded in and out. Mai listened desperately for words, a sign of life among these empty halls. The voice came again, sending chills ricocheting up and down her spine.

"Don't be afraid."

She was plunged instantly into never-ending darkness, holding her ears in vain to block out horrific screeches coming at her from every direction. Invisible winds knocked her all around, finally sending Mai to her knees. She lay there, crouched with her arms over her neck for cover until everything died down.

Mai looked up from her position, wondering if peace had come again. Never had that happened in her dreams before. Gazing around, she strained her ears for anything else that was coming upon her. Only small, seemingly harmless noises reached her now and her nerves were calmed. She quickly got up, straining her eyes for a light. In the distance, a small pinprick glowed like a beacon.

Mai sprinted toward it.

As the shape grew closer, Mai tried to make out what it was. It was no bigger than a meter tall and nothing but a blue-white blob. Mai could see her breath in the light it was giving off – and it only just occurred to her the air was below freezing. She bit her tongue and slowed her steps as the image registered in her mind.

The shape was a child. There were no doubts. It had a big, round head, ears that could have doubled as baseball mitts, and a thin, almost skeletal body. The child-like thing was turned away from her and its short hair danced in the nonexistent breeze.

"Are you lost?" Mai asked, coming closer. She blindly sensed no danger as the ghost-child turned her way. Her kind smiled faltered when she saw its face.

It cocked its head before all hell broke loose. A wide, Joker-esque smile split across its young face, each white Chiclet tooth visible. Mai stared on in fascination, not seeing the wickedness in its blank golf-ball eyes. It let out an earsplitting shriek, causing Mai to stumble backwards in surprise, losing her balance. She plugged her ears again, but could still hear the window-shattering squeal despite her blocked hearing.

Mai tried to get up, tried to run from the approaching demon-child, but her legs were pinned to the ground. Looking down at the inky floor to try and loosen her legs, she saw she was slowly sinking. Black tendrils clasped her ankles and two more were snaking up to grab her wrists. The child moved closer, still emitting that high-pitched helium cry. She pulled her fingers from her ears to try and tug her legs free. This only succeeded in getting her wrists trapped.

The wisps pulled her arms down to her sides, forcing her to lie down so that her shoulders wouldn't have been dislocated. A thick, branch-like black arm wound around her waist before she could even blink. The branch constricted on her waist and Mai was sent into a coughing fit. The last tendril wrapped around her neck and she was silenced.

All of a sudden, the child bent down next to her as she writhed for freedom. He held that same spine-chilling grin, dead eyes, but held a blood-soaked dagger in his fist. Mai's eyes widened and her throat constricted before the knife all too quickly plunged into her heart. Mai tried to scream, tried to speak, tried to breathe, but found she couldn't. The child cackled quietly and held the knife in place.

Red spilled across her shirt in every direction, much to the glee of the little child. Mai was going to be sick as she watched her blood drain from her body. Her resistance was slowly considerably and it was getting harder to keep her eyes open. She swallowed desperately, cringing as the knife dug deeper, searching for an untouched part of her body.

The child suddenly leaned over her, pushing the knife far to the left. Mai gasped, disgusted, as more blood gushed out, trailing down her arm, down her neck, and she could even feel it on her back. Or maybe that was just the knife making its way completely through her body. He stared at her, centimeters away from her face and hissed, "I told you not to be afraid. You should have listened."

He tore the knife from her heart, her body jerking violently as he did. His eyes glowed brighter, slightly red as Mai moaned. The shackles were released, and she rolled over, facing away from the child, bringing her arms to her chest. Instantly they were soaked with warm blood.

"Do you want it to end? I want you to beg for mercy!" She flinched as the demon's voice reached that nails-on-a-chalkboard tone again. Mai clenched her teeth, not wanting to give in. The thing cried out again in anguish and something kicked her hard in the back, throwing her across the oblivion. Mai landed on her side, her arms still tucked to her chest. Her body convulsed again as she gave another wracking cough. She tasted blood in her mouth, trailing down her chin. She was through being strong. Enough was enough.

"End it!" she screamed, the words spilling from her mouth, her voice not her own. The words weren't of her own choosing. "Please! End it! Do anything, just stop! _Stop_! I beg of you!"

The child appeared before her again, still grinning, still holding the dagger now soaked with her blood. He rested on his elbows, watching her. Watching her bleed herself to death. She tried to close her eyes now, but couldn't stop staring into those bright orbs. It would be the last thing she saw.

"That's what I thought. Good night." She could have sworn she heard running footsteps and a screamed name she didn't recognize, but before she could look to see where the other noises were coming from, the child snapped its bony fingers.

Dark swirls of crimson and ebony overcame her vision as her whole body was tugged into the black floor below.

* * *

Mai shot up in bed, gasping for air. Raising a clammy hand to her face, she rubbed her temples and flipped out of bed. The orange light from the window told her that it was daybreak. Mai sighed and uncoiled her taut muscles. She luckily didn't have to go back to sleep. Not like she would be able to, anyway.

She rushed to the bathroom and turned every single faucet on in her bathtub. Naru would have to wait a little bit longer for his tea this morning, because she needed a serious calming down session. She poked several fingers under one faucet, the water warm and soothing. She peeled off her sweat-drenched clothes and slipped into the tub.

Mai looked down at herself, making sure that no blood was on her. Her breath caught in her throat. Oh, Gods. The place where the child had stabbed her, just below her collarbone, was a bright, disturbing red. Mai clenched her eyes tightly shut and sunk under the water, blowing out even bubbles. A dream. It was only a dream. She just had to remember that and she'd be okay.

Well, maybe not.

For three nights straight she had these horrific nightmares. The dreams continually worsened each night. Each night she died a different way, but still died at the hands of the glowing demon with the dagger. From each one she awoke in a cold sweat. The first night she had been stabbed in the chest, obviously. The second night she had been pinned against a wall and beaten about the head with the handle of that dagger until she succumbed to the black. The third night her throat had been slit cleanly as she had been pleading with the ghost-child to spare her life because she said she loved him.

Mai had no control over her actions, words, or her imminent death in any one of these dreams. That much was obvious. On the fourth night, she simply couldn't take it anymore. She was going to go insane if she had another one of these dreams. So there was only thing left to do – stay up.

At nine o'clock that night, after Naru had dismissed her for the day, Mai made her way back into the kitchen, where John, Madoka, and Takigawa still lingered. All talking together, they didn't notice Mai as she slipped in until she spoke up.

"Um… hi."

The three turned to face her, the room becoming deathly silent. Mai blinked.

"Am I not supposed to be here or something? Because I can go…" Mai started to move toward the door, but Madoka welcomed her back in quickly.

"No, no, no! We were just taken by surprise is all. You're normally asleep by now, aren't you?" she questioned, her tone motherly. Mai walked back toward the center island of the kitchen, smiling because Madoka seemed to act more as her mother now than her biological mother had. What she remembered of her real mother, anyways.

"Yeah, but… I, er, I'm not really tired right now," she replied. Lies, lies, lies, but she really didn't feel like telling anyone about the nightmares quite yet. Not if she wanted to explain how she had died each night. Madoka gazed at her for a moment more, almost catching the deceit behind Mai's eyes. But her smile merely widened and she nodded.

"That's fine, then. Just be sure you'll get enough sleep for tomorrow's work, _ne?_"

Mai faked a smile and grabbed one of the dust-covered stools from the corner, pulling it up to the island. She wasn't sure how many grueling nights she would need to stay up for the nightmares to leave her. Mai shrugged noncommittally and, luckily, Madoka took that as a sign of agreement.

"Good girl."

"So what's on your mind, jou-chan?" Takigawa asked, looking up at her with an anxious gleam in his eyes. Mai blew out a sigh.

"Nothing really," Mai said as nonchalantly as she could. Nothing but a whole bunch of different ways to die. Nothing they needed to hear about. "I was just wondering if there was something other to do around here than work, sleep, eat, and talk. No offense."

"None taken," the candelabra chuckled. "We get bored around here a lot, too. Now that you're here, there's more to talk about, but…" Mai caught the warning glare John sent the monk, but he just seemed to shrug it off. Mai had yet to figure out the problem with telling people a little background information around here. It seemed as if they said one word wrong, everyone jumped at the opportunity to make sure they shut up.

"There's always the library, Mai-chan, if you're interested," John offered. Mai perked up, raising her head off the counter. Now that was something she could do. Read until day broke, do her work, and then look forward to a new story for the night to come. Mai smiled warmly at John and shoved herself up off the stool.

"That's absolutely perfect, just what I need. Thank you!" Mai had raced out before anyone had said another world. Madoka clicked her tongue, but said nothing else. John watched her leave, sighing softly. She may have been their last hope, and she certainly was a very good candidate… just very slow on the pickup.

"She's in and out in the blink of an eye," John laughed, turning back to his companions, also watching Mai race out the door. Takigawa smirked, his eyes flashing gravely. Madoka just snorted.

"Now let's just hope that doesn't happen in real life," Takigawa said.

* * *

Mai lay comfortably back in her room with a stack of books placed next to her bed. Every single light was on in the room, and the moon shone brightly through the window on the clear night. After her brief visit in the kitchen, she had gone on her merry little way up to the library where she had gathered in her arms every ghost story she could find. Mai couldn't deny the stories intrigued her. Naru really was onto something.

Of course, the light stayed on in her room that night. Every five minutes or so, Masako would exhale sharply, indicating she wanted something. Mai was too entranced in her current book – a story about a giant life size teddy bear that had come to life and become an alcoholic, soon trying to commit suicide – to notice Masako's exasperation. The story was ridiculous, but funny. It had definitely been one of the lighter-hearted stories she had read that night.

But as soon as the story had ended and the bear had been taken care of, Mai noticed light peeking into her window. Masako moaned again, saying something about how she was never going to get her beauty sleep now. Slowly, Mai rubbed her eyes and jumped from the bed.

The stories had been much more pleasant than the nightmares. They probably weren't the best things to be reading if she wanted nightmares to go away, but at least it was something to distract her. Naru probably didn't own anything else, anyways. Mai smiled to herself on the way to the bathroom. These nights were going to go quicker than she thought.

Day came and went for the servant girl and once more she lay upon her bed, stomach down, book open to read about a doll that had tried to kill its owners – and had succeeded at killing many. She was finally put to rest after the owners had cleansed the spirit and burned the doll. Mai glanced suspiciously around the room and was grateful there were no porcelain dolls staring at her through lifeless eyes. What she could see of Masako's face looked just as porcelain and perfect as a doll's - but Masako seemed nicer than a child-killing doll.

Mai was soon relieved of the nightmares, but as a side effect, her work became slow. She had forgotten Naru's tea many more times than once – and had to face the consequences each time – but Mai had to admit, this was much better than her dreams. No sleep equaled no terror.

Each story she read seemed even better and even creepier than the last. The next night she read of two lovers who had jumped into the ocean to escape arranged marriages. They would have never seen each other again if the marriage had taken place, but the gods took pity on the lovers and turned them into rocks. But after hundreds of years, people began to drown instantly around the rocks. The gods were then angered with the lovers' spirits and, a day later, their bodies were seen floating in the water where the rocks had once been.

The story she remembered most was about a put-down rebellion. The five leaders of the rebellion were attacked and killed by their former followers and all seemed peaceful after that – until the ghosts of the leaders came back to haunts and torture the followers for betraying them. Everyone in the village, save for the children, eventually went crazy.

Mai could begin to see why Naru liked ghost stories. Sure, they were a little sick-minded, but no doubt page turners. Mai flipped the book closed and threw it back on the small mountain of books she had already completed. Now every morning when she forcefully hauled herself out of bed, all she could hear was the amount of days she "had left." Of course, she still had to figure out that meant.

_Eighty, eighty, eighty…_ managed to get stuck in her head that morning.

She was dressed and in the kitchen before she knew it. Mai went on her tiptoes and pulled out a teacup from the cupboard, teetering slightly. Placing her fingers to the bridge of her nose, Mai grabbed the cup, set it down safely on the counter, and closed her eyes.

_How long must this go on?_ She thought to herself before being shoved from her half-sleep by the obnoxious whistling kettle. _This cruel trick of fate…_ There was really no denying it – she needed sleep, and fast. But she wasn't going to risk having those ridiculous nightmares again.

She picked a black tea out of the various types they had in stock, dumped a spoonful in a teapot, and poured the boiling water in. She'd done this routine so many times she could have accomplished it blindfolded. Mai sighed, stirring the water with a small silver spoon. The cycle was never-ending.

Up carpeted staircases robotically, down darkened hallways without even counting the doors. Pushing through cobwebs she needed to clear, swatting away spiders that threatened to freak her out. All in a day's work. And, finally, the big double doors that lead into Naru's cave – oh, office. Right. Of course, she'd never seen him leave that office at nightfall… she wondered if he just holed himself up in there every night.

"Tea," she called out, her voice weaker than usual. Naru looked up from a letter he had been writing, and pushed it off to the side to clear room for the tray. Mai stepped back from his desk once he had taken his tea and waited obediently for her chores today… waited as her eyes started to close… waited as her grip on the surrounding world began to shut down…

"Mai… are you… feeling alright?" Naru asked, a suspicious glimmer in his eyes as Mai jerked her chin off her chest again. She looked around wildly for a moment, but then relaxed, slipping back into that zombified mode.

"Oh, uh… yeah. Sure. Dandy. What did you want me to do today?" she asked, her words slurred, her eyes barely half open. Naru looked her over again. She had been acting more and more tired each day for the past week. He'd thought nothing of it… but he'd never seen her act quite like this. She had always tried to hide her fatigue before, but now it seemed she was too dead on her feet to even do that.

Naru cringed inwardly as a pang of what seemed to be guilt swept over him. Before he could stop the words from coming, Naru gave orders than surprised even himself. "Just sweep the kitchen. Then make me lunch. And… that can be all for today."

This woke Mai up. She blinked, frozen in place for a brief moment, but nodded eagerly. He had just given her the afternoon off. _Wow_. Mai bowed and exited quickly, the grin quickly growing on her face. She had to be grateful for this one moment while she could.

Because she was sure there wasn't going to be another like it.

Naru watched the heavy doors swing closed. He took a quick sip of the hot tea, his now-burned tongue keeping him alert. _Snap out of it, you idiot. You're a hopeless basket case. You have been since you were turned into a monster. Of course, you were pretty much always a monster. You threw your life and your friends' lives down the drain – and you deserved everything given to you. Your friends, on the other hand…_

Sharply, Naru ran a hand through his hair, pulling a little more forcefully than he needed. His conscience really did have the absolute worst timing. In the world. Really. Naru set the teacup back down on the platter with a bit more force than he would have likely and focused intently on the letter he was writing. He would not let his mind wander to Mai. Not today.

…Not again.

* * *

The grandfather clock standing proudly in the corner struck one.

And then two.

…And then four.

Naru sighed. Maybe she hadn't gotten the whole message. She was supposed to _bring_ him lunch before she took off work. He signed the letter in his signature slanted script and shoved away from the desk. He placed the letter in the drawer and flipped off the desk lamp. He was going to have to go find her before he starved.

Naru supposed whoever was in the kitchen may have seen her last. Madoka and John rarely left the kitchen. Unless they had another plot to force Naru and Mai in a room together again. Which hadn't worked in the first place. Nope. Absolutely not. Naru refused to give into anything like that. All it would do is bring him false hope. That was the last thing he needed.

Naru preferred to wait until nothing could be done any more. Then he would serve the same end as the people he cared so deeply about. Unfortunately, it was what he deserved, and he knew it. Some considered it selfish – he was simply shying away from the severe mistakes he had made. Naru thought it was… well, _fitting_.

But Mai had so suddenly changed all that.

Naru shook his head roughly to clear the young servant girl from his mind. He wasn't going to think about that. His mind had been set for so long on what he was going to have to do. In the last one hundred days, something that had been set for over three years couldn't be changed so easily… could it? He didn't want to answer that question. He wanted to avoid reality.

The truth? He didn't want the same thing to happen to Mai.

Pushing his way into the kitchen, he saw once it was empty. Swept, but empty. His gaze traveled over the countertops, and saw his lunch (albeit cold) sitting on a tray. He moved forward to take the lunch back to his office, but what was _below _his lunch surprised him.

Mai, sound asleep, using the broom as her pillow. Naru held in an exasperated groan, stared at her for a few seconds longer, but came to the conclusion he had to do something. Just like the time when he had found her asleep in the hallway. His growling stomach and stale lunch would have to wait. Walking forward, he kneeled down next to her and shook her awake.

"N-huh…?" Her eyelids fluttered and she raised her head a couple of centimeters from her broom-pillow, obviously confused.

"Come on, Mai. You're going back to bed."

Who knew what had possessed him to sound so concerned. Naru gritted his teeth, but knew he couldn't do much about it now. All Naru did was gently pull Mai to her feet and began to lead her back to her bedroom. He wasn't quite sure if she was awake yet.

As soon as Naru had practically dragged his young servant back to her room, she simply collapsed onto the ruffled bed and was asleep in seconds. Naru shook his head disbelievingly. Not a comprehensible word and she was out cold again.

"The poor thing," Yasuhara muttered when Naru was almost out the door. "She finally caved."

Naru whirled around, staring at the bookcase. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"She hasn't been sleeping well for a week. Hasn't been sleeping at all, actually." Masako put in her two cents. "We were beginning to worry about her. But now, finally, she's given in. I just hope…"

"Yeah, me too," Yasuhara supplied, talking more to themselves than to the irritated boss. They had this all planned out. But it was a win-win situation for everyone – if it all turned out right. It was only lucky Mai had chosen to fall asleep after they had come up with the plan.

"Hope _what?_" Naru snarled, his voice barely audible. Masako slowly turned her gaze towards him, her eyelids fluttering.

"That is none of our business, Naru," she said. "If Mai chooses to share it with you, then it is okay. But until then…" Masako shrugged and fell silent. Naru ground his teeth and turned to Yasuhara, but if Masako wasn't going to break, neither was he.

"Actually…" Masako spoke up as Naru was in the doorway. He swung back around in seconds and didn't see Yasuhara trying to keep his laughter in. "I know something that might help her. You know, relax. Get her to sleep a bit better so she's not too… overworked."

Naru tensed. Was she implying he had overworked Mai? Because, for all that he knew, he had done nothing of the sort. He had even given her the rest of the afternoon off! That wasn't overworking her at all. Still, these two had been living with her for the past three weeks. Had Mai told them something he hadn't heard…?

"What were you thinking?" Naru replied, making his way back into the room for a third time. Masako and Yasuhara shot each other a meaningful look that the master ignored and this time, Yasuhara answered.

"Well, it would be nice if you gave her more than a couple hours off. Like… oh, I don't know… the weekends, maybe? I'm sure she would appreciate that." Yasuhara raised his eyebrows and his glasses flashed. Naru made no movement, didn't even signal that he had heard Yasuhara. But the two waited for the master in silence – they would let Naru take his time, because if they didn't, they could kiss this proposal goodbye.

"She wouldn't be able to pay me back in her lifetime if I gave her the weekends off."

There was a brief glint in Yasuhara's eyes that was about to tell Naru what he could do to fix it, but thought better of it. There was a visible slump in the attitudes of the two persuaders. Naru hadn't been pondering the suggestion; he'd simply being doing the math for the debt in his head.

"You could pay her on the weekends, even when she's off," Masako said, but almost immediately she knew Naru was going to shoot this down. Yasuhara noticed that little factor, too. He jumped in again without a second thought.

"Come on, Shibuya-san. You can't keep being 'the evil boss master.' Ease up on the work load. I think she's barely sixteen; she can't handle twelve hours of work a day just to pay off a debt left over by her father. You've got to open up to her a little. Just maybe she'll open up to you a little, too. You never know what will happen…" Yasuhara dwindled off, using the same tone everyone else took on when talking to Naru about Mai's circumstances and what she could do for all of them. In truth, Naru hated that tone of voice. But he couldn't deny that Mai really was the last shot they had.

"If I pay her on the weekends…" Naru mused quietly. Masako and Yasuhara watched on. It was out of their hands now. Naru paced back and forth. Every time he changed his mind, he changed directions. Mai made a soft sound on the bed, rolled over, but didn't wake. Naru ran a hand through his black hair once and looked up.

"It won't hurt."

Masako gasped, pursing her lips to keep the overjoyed smile from her pale face. Yasuhara's eyes flashed. Another success. _He had given in._ Naru nodded, reconfirming his decision.

"Mai can have the weekends off. She needs a break. She's a hard worker and she deserves it."

These compliments to the sleeping servant only made Yasuhara and Masako's excitement grow. _He was learning – finally. _And just like that it was over.

"Don't you think that was a little easier than we thought it was going to be?" Yasuhara muttered with a slight cocky lilt to his voice once the master had left. A note lay on the pillow Mai had not used. They had planned a whole speech for Naru… and the supposed ice-cold master had yielded to their suggestion in a matter of minutes. Masako giggled softly.

"You noticed it, too."

* * *

Mai awoke in bed when dawn broke the next morning.

At first, she was incredibly confused. Questions galore swirled through her head as she flipped over, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. She came face to face with a small square piece of paper. In slanted cursive it read, "_You now have paid weekends off. Your hard work is appreciated_."

The message was from Naru, no doubt. She stared at it gleefully, eyes wide and bright, and leapt from the bed. She pulled her sheets back over her bed, flattened them, and laid the note directly where she had found it. Mai raced to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

She went over the events of the morning before, just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Mai had started out practically asleep, but had gotten out of her bed after reading. She had then reported to Naru for her chores, giving him his tea. She went back to the kitchen, had swept…

…and then had fallen asleep. Oh. So that meant she could still be dead asleep in her bed, and this perfect scene could turn into another _murder_ scene in a matter of seconds. In the next half an hour, Mai constantly found ways to prove her thoughts wrong. _Think positive…_

The sting of the hot shower told her she was awake. The small bruise that she had received when tripping on a puddle of water told her she was awake. And when she came back out to grab her clothes, the note was lying on top of her shirt. The pinch she gave herself that drew blood confirmed it all. Mai just couldn't keep the smile off her face. She was definitely getting used to it here. And she definitely liked it better than that ratty old shack she had been living in for the four years previously. She just couldn't believe how she had survived.

Mai stopped short. Oh, my God. She hadn't had a nightmare. After seven days of either awful sleeps or no sleep whatsoever, the nightmares had left her. Mai felt lighter than she ever had. This was definitely the best day of her life.

Word had spread through the manor like fire to a dry forest. Masako and Yasuhara had to feign surprise when Mai had squeaked out the news to them after she had gotten dressed. Before they knew it, everyone else had heard as well. Well, once _Madoka_ had heard, everyone else knew. Things were looking up, to say the least.

But there was still a long way to go.

For the whole household, Friday locked itself in place. Every time Mai checked the clock, only thirty seconds had passed by. She wondered if Naru had rigged the clocks so that she spent more time working. She wouldn't be surprised if he had.

But Naru had nothing to do with the fact that Mai was simply excited for her first break in nearly a month. Even he was waiting to see how she would take her days off. There was a small sliver of hope in his heart that maybe, just maybe, she'd want to spend the day with him.

The rest of the house was waiting on baited breath. They wanted Mai to spend the weekend with Naru, too. Except they were a bit more outspoken about it. Madoka definitely was. Every time Mai would enter the kitchen (a total of seven times that day) Madoka could somehow always bring up the fact that Naru had all the time in the world off too – and if she asked him, he would accompany her anything. Mai would laugh it off and nod and listen. That was what made Madoka happy. She'd make her actually decision later.

She wasn't exactly sure if Naru would be so… forthcoming – she thought Madoka was more putting words in the master's mouth.

And so Mai lay in bed that night, staring up at the chiffon canopy, waiting, waiting, waiting for the next day to come. She still didn't know what she would o the next day. She still didn't know if she would bend to Madoka's will and ask Naru to talk and walk around with her… there really was nothing else to do… Mai would just have to figure it all out tomorrow…

Night truly was the opposite of day. The sky seemed to darken and lighten in a matter of seconds. Today, Masako did not snap at her to get up before eight, and when she woke up (past ten!) her clothes were already laid out. But today, her outfit did not consist of a black skirt, white button up, and black shoes. No, today fuzzy, knee-high snow boots, dark cargos, and a long, black jacket lay on her bed. Mai grinned and fingered the warm jacket. Not able to keep her emotion in much longer, Mai let out a yell and spun around in a circle, throwing her arms up in the air.

Her jaw dropped and she froze at the window. A blanket of white covered her whole view. And it was nothing less than gorgeous. Mai sprinted over to the window, pressing her fingertips against the cold pane.

Well, now she knew what she was doing today.

She got ready and dressed as quickly as possible, bolting out the door while buttoning her coat. Mai ran into Naru on her way to the kitchen.

…Literally. Luckily, he had already finished his morning tea and she didn't have to worry about spilling it all over him.

"Did you see it was snowing?" Mai chirped immediately after recovery. Naru stared down at her, eyebrow cocked, in that all too familiar, 'Did you seriously just say that?' stare. Mai blushed and cupped the back of her neck in her palm.

"Yes, I realized that when I woke up this morning. Have you never seen snow before?" he asked with a teasing tone. Mai scrunched her nose.

"I've _seen_ snow before plenty of times – I had to walk all the way here, looking at snow the whole way.

But it's always been so grey and… icky. I've never seen snow so pretty before! I'm going outside right now, come with me, please!" Mai bounced on the balls of her feet, clasping her hands together in front of her chest with wide eyes.

Oh, wow, she made her decision.

Naru was silent for a long time. So long that Mai had resorted to dropping her hands and giving him a full-blown pout. Naru gave a heavy sigh and shrugged. That mirror caught Mai's eye again as he did so.

"Why not? I can even show you around grounds and give you an official tour if you want."

Mai's pout evaporated and she clapped giddily. Naru rolled her eyes at her behavior, but something sparked within both of them. They had gotten what they wanted today. The rest of the house members would watch them all the way downstairs and out the doors, scrambling to the windows when they could not see them anymore.

"Was this place ever… I dunno… new?" Mai giggled as she fingered frozen pieces of broken statue. Naru stayed silent, his hands deep in his pockets, black coat buttoned tight around his thin frame. The only color besides black and white that seemed to be on him ever were dead blue eyes. Eyes that had seen too much.

"A long, long time ago," he started softly. "I've never bothered taking care of it out here. I'm too busy and there's no use. No one's here to see it. Or at least no one has been in a long time. I've given up on the outside looks. The whole castle used to be described as majestic, glorious, a sight to behold, one of the greatest structure in the land… before I bought it. And when everything fell apart, the manor did too. I just—"

Something cold and wet pelted Naru just below the ear. His speech ended, his hand rose to the slush slipping down his neck, and his lips twitched with the challenge. Mai stood there innocently, her hands together behind her back. Naru shook his head slowly.

"I wonder where that came from…?" he drawled, bending to pick up a handful of fresh snow. Mai whistled innocently, ambling through the yard. She didn't respond, swaying side to side as she walked. Right when she turned her back, Naru threw a fast pitch no one could avoid.

Mai yelped as she swiveled immediately around, the noise like the sound of a stepped-on dog, and her eyes flashed. The war was on.

Two hours later, when both were sopping wet and incredibly hungry, they staggered back into the house for lunch and dry clothes. Mai could have sworn Naru cracked as least two smiles as they were eating; another fight (only with food and not snow) almost erupting. Mai didn't know how the servants, who were obviously watching from somewhere, kept themselves quiet. This day was going amazingly well.

"Can we start a fire in the library? I saw the fireplace when we were locked in there and you made me clean it. Then it'll be all warm in there and we can read the ghost stories and talk and… and… oh, and have hot cocoa!" Mai knew she sounded not nearly seventeen, but almost seven, but today was the day she wasn't going to care. Anything was possible.

Without responding, Naru beckoned her from the room, heading toward the library. Mai stood in place for a moment, taking this all in, and sprinted after Naru. He showed her how to start a fire in the fireplace, and even though she already knew perfectly well, she let him take her hands and show her how to strike the match. She threw it onto the dry logs and stepped back. Before she knew it, they had a roaring fire going on.

Mai snagged several of the books she had read in the past week that had been her favorites from the shelves and laid them all at her feet. She took her place on the couch next to Naru and, without even asking, began to read aloud. This was the two lovers story. Although the story did not end on a happy note, Mai was left with a bright, warm feeling inside.

"Naru…" she started, halfway through a sentence. "I… I just wanted to say thank you, so much, for today. It… it was amazing. I've haven't felt like this in a long time. It feels like home again, back with my parents, when life actually seemed perfect."

"Oh…" was all Naru could say. "I'm sorry I brought back the memories of your parents."

"No, it was good to remember them again. I love all the happy memories I have of my family. It all seemed so perfect up until my mother became sick. My parents didn't really like to tell me everything – they wanted to keep me sheltered until I was old enough to understand everything, I suppose. But because of that, I never really got to say goodbye to my mother properly.

"They wouldn't stop keeping secrets from me. And then my father told me the day before he left we were in debt. The day before, and I still don't understand why he didn't tell me to this day. I sent that question in every single one of my letters to him, and in each response, he ignored it. I guess he was… ashamed, to say the least. Ashamed he couldn't take care of his only daughter without outside help. I'll never know the answer now, but I can't say I didn't try to find out. The only thing that I really learned from them was to never keep important secrets. _Never_. Because you never know if the next day will be your last."

Mai glanced at her nails and sighed softly. Naru had that, 'Oh, damn it,' look on his face, but as soon as Mai looked up with a renewed smile, it was gone. He nodded firmly, his lips upturning the slightest bit.

"I hope your life continues like this here then. I had a good time with you today, too, Mai. Thank you."

* * *

It was truly a miracle that Naru and Mai didn't hear the gasps and squeals and whispers coming from the hallway. The sound could have woken a sleeping bear. Between 'ohmigod's' from Ayako, laughter from Takigawa, 'aww's' from John, grunts of surprise from Lin, and an occasional 'This was all my doing' sniff from Madoka, the level of noise they reach was surprising.

"She's going to save us. She's really going to save us," John muttered under his breath in disbelief. Takigawa snorted and nodded next to him.

"Let's just hope our socially challenged Naru doesn't screw this up, huh?"

They watched the pair talk and talk and read and read and then talk some more until night fell. One by one, the servants began to leave, afraid of getting caught. Soon, only Madoka and Lin were left. Lin was ready to go – he'd had enough eavesdropping and spying to cover for the rest of his life.

"I guess we didn't really need to push them after all, huh?" Lin whispered to Madoka. "They seem to be doing ideally without all our 'help.'" She turned to glare at him, and he merely smiled. Madoka didn't say anything as he left.

Because she knew he was right.

* * *

_Who'd have thought they'd come together on their own?  
Wait and see  
A few days more  
There may be something there that wasn't there before_

_

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**A/N: -breathes deeply- There. Longest chapter yet. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much I enjoyed writing it… and if you'd so kindly tell me what you though in a review, I'd love you forever!**

**Oh, and one more thing. If anyone can tell me **_**both**_** songs that were used in this chapter, I'll send you a sneak peek of the coming chapter. One's a give-away, one's very hard to find - in my opinion. Both are in 'Beauty and the Beast.' First person who guesses correctly wins!**


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey, all! This chapter is one I've had planned ever since I started this story, so I think you'll like it. Thank you for all the lovely reviews I've been getting – each one just makes my day!**

**In response to the little contest I had last chapter, the two songs I used were "How Long Must This Go On?" from the Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast and, of course, "Something There." Most of you got "Something There," but only one person knew "How Long Must This Go On?" I can understand why; it's not a very well known song – but it's amazing that so many of you guessed! Thanks all!**

**Disclaimer: I – DON'T – OWN. The end.**

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* * *

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Chapter 12: Story Time

Mai awoke to a bright Sunday morning, snow still layering the grounds outside. Sunrise bled into the ground, leaving her world orange. The smile she had worn so proudly yesterday was still visible on her face as she leapt out of bed. In sheer excitement, Mai twirled around and raced to get ready for today.

Only one word could have ever come close to explaining the day before: perfection. Sweet and simple bliss. She couldn't recall the events without a smile coming to her face. Everything she did passed in a haze. Through her shower, Mai could only reminisce and giggle – and, of course, wonder what they were going to do today.

Gliding back out of her room with a hairbrush, she saw another set of clothes on her bed. She heard Masako speak up as soon as she gathered the clothes in her arms.

"Naru won't be out for a couple more hours. You may explore the castle, if you like, until he is finished," she said coolly. Mai nodded absently, spinning around in her daydream once more. Masako huffed softly.

"Okay," Mai said, off in her own little world.

So that meant today she could finally figure out what was in the West Wing. She knew Naru said it was off limits. And in all honesty, she had forgotten about it until Naru had so obviously avoided it when coming back into the manor the day before. And now Mai was even more curious about the only forbidden room in the house.

Well, now was the time to find out.

Mai pulled on her clothes and shoes, slipped from her room, and headed up to the third floor. Adrenaline pumped through her system, but she tried to calm herself down. Even if Naru found her trying to get into the room, what could he possibly do to her?

She jumped the final three steps in a single bound and saw the tall doors at the end of the hallway. They were practically calling out to her. 'Come open us, Mai! See the secrets we have to hold! You know you want to!' Mai shifted her weight from foot to foot, hopping awkwardly back and forth.

And without warning she sprinted forward, watching the doors grow larger. Finally. _Finally,_ she would learn why. Her hand touched the gold knob and she yanked the huge doors open. After some useless tugging, she realized she had to push the door, not pull it. Mai rolled her eyes, and shoved her whole weight against the door.

As she entered, it was pitch black. Stale air met her nose. Different from what she remembered from several weeks ago, the windows were closed and the curtains were shut. No light made it into the room. Mai peeked around the door and saw that the windows traveled nearly all away around the room. If she could just get to the nearest window, then she could open the curtains to let some light in.

She jumped toward the windows, carefully making her way there. Mai nearly slipped; something wet was on the ground, but she kept her balance and grasped the curtains. Her fists clenched around the soft fabric as she found the edges. Mai bit down hard on her lip, wondering if this was what she really wanted. Whether or not she could've just gone and asked Naru why this was forbidden. Whether she would pay dire consequences if she was caught…

"Mai!" a barking voice came from outside, seconds before she could tug the blinds open. She froze in her tracks, knowing she had jinxed herself. From the tone in Naru's voice, she was royally screwed.

"Na-naru!" she gasped. She wanted so desperately to fling open the blinds and see why this room was off-limits to her. Her mind screamed, "Go, go, go!" while her heart screamed, "No, no, no!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you idiot?!"

"I… I was…" Mai searched her mind frantically for an excuse that made sense. If this was just her first week here, then the 'lost' excuse would have worked. But no, after the days upon days of traveling up and down stairs, wandering through halls, cleaning every single room in the house, there was no way he was going to buy that excuse.

He answered the question for her, gliding into the room, keeping his flashing eyes on her the whole time. Oddly, he had kept the door nearly closed. "You were being stupid."

"I-I was just curious…" Mai pleaded, stepping away from the curtains.

"Curiosity _is _stupidity."

"How… how can you say something like that?" she whispered meekly. She didn't dare move.

"From previous experience," Naru snarled. He grabbed her by the shoulder and began to drag her from the room. "Consider your debts repaid. You are to leave in the next two hours and _never_ return here again. Do not speak to anyone what you have done or seen here because I _will_ know if you have and there _will_ be consequences."

He nearly shoved her down the stairs. Mai stumbled, and caught herself before she went down face-first. She looked back up at him, shoulders shaking with tears welling in her eyes. She brushed them away before they could fall, but the tears merely built up again. An awful truth collided with her head-on. Naru wasn't going to change his mind.

"_Go_! I never want to see you _again_!" he shouted at her, finalizing everything. And just an hour ago she had been dancing around her room, laughing, smiling, hoping today was going to be just as good as the day before. Somehow now, that all seemed unreal and impossible. Mai spun on her heel and sprinted away.

Naru watched her run out of sight, heard her sobs fade down the hall, and heard her door slam shut. He simply shook his head.

"I finally trusted you. I was… going to tell you everything. I thought you could help us." Naru looked thoughtful for a moment, and an odd sensation swept over him. He refused to acknowledge the feelings that were there, but he knew what they were:

Longing and regret.

Naru shook himself out of his thoughts and turned back around to go back to his office, where he would no doubt spend the rest of his life.

"I guess I was wrong."

* * *

Mai sunk to the floor, leaning against her door, as soon as she got inside her room. Before she knew it, Masako and Yasuhara were asking questions by the handful.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you okay?"

"What happened?"

"What did Naru do to you?"

"Mai, please, talk to us!"

Mai looked up, swallowing the lump in her throat. There was no other way to say it. "I'm apparently supposed to leave. Forever. I went into the West Wing," she answered bluntly. They fell silent almost immediately.

"Did you see anything?" Yasuhara asked quietly. Mai shook her head no.

"He threw me out of the room before I could open the blinds to see anything. And then he shoved me down the stairs and yelled at me to get out. I thought he was supposed to be in his office for the next few hours! That's why I went in there now…" Mai groaned, standing. "Thanks a lot, Masako," she snapped.

"Are you blaming _me_ for your stupidity?" Masako shot back. Mai tugged the carpetbag out from under her bed and began refilling it with everything she had brought here. She would take nothing back – nothing that would remind her of this place.

"I was _curious_!" Mai punched her mother's quilt into the bag, stuffing clothes on top.

Masako sniffed. "It's the same thing to me."

Mai flung her carpetbag over her shoulder, tossed her head back, and said, "That's _exactly_ what Naru told me."

The sharpness in her tone seemed to shut Masako up. With that, Mai was gone. Worried about running into anyone else, Mai took shortcuts all around the mansion. She had nearly made it out the door, before a familiar, desperate voice called her name.

"Mai-san!"

Mai turned around instantly at Ayako's voice. She watched as the feather duster approached her, staring up at her with wide, almost… _frightened_ eyes. The reminder of that image over the inanimate object sent chills down her spine once more. She guessed she would never figure out who they were and why they were that way.

"Mai… please don't leave. You don't know what you're doing!"

"I don't know what I'm doing? I'm pretty sure I'm leaving this place for good, Ayako," Mai replied, trying to keep most of the sarcasm from entering her tone. Now really wasn't the time.

"No, you—I don't think—I'm sure you don't understand what this means," Ayako pressed, her eyes flashing, her face set in despair. Mai faltered.

"There's not really anything to understand." Mai ran a hand through her hair nervously. Just what was going on?

"Just… none of us want you to leave, Mai. _Please_. Defy Naru for once. _Stay_."

Mai cringed at the helpless tone in Ayako's voice. But she couldn't break, wouldn't break. If Naru wanted her gone, then so be it. "Go tell your master that," she spat. More tears fell. "It's not like I _want_ to leave. I _have_ to. And that's an order. I can't defy it… it'll just make him angrier."

Ayako looked like she wanted to say something else, something more persuasive to get the young girl to stay. But Mai didn't have the time or the heart. She backed from the door without breaking their gaze. She was completely torn in two – she had just surrendered her last chance to return. There was only one question left for her now – where would she go?

Mai marched away from the manor with her head held high. There was no way she was going to turn around. Her dramatic exit wasn't going to be ruined. She found herself at the forest's edge again a short time later. Mai stopped, wondering to herself. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could find a shortcut if she went another way.

But luck certainly was not with her today. She found herself at a river's edge just to the side of the manor. The forest was close by, but she could see the road a little ways from the opposite riverbank – cutting at least forty-five minutes off her trek home.

Unfortunately, the river was not going to let her cross so easily. Mai was worried about the little factor of melting ice, thanks to the sun beating down rather harshly. She took in a deep breath, and tested her foot on the ice. No movement. Thank the Gods.

Mai brushed more tears from her face, trying to keep not only Naru's voice, but everyone's voice from her mind. All she could think of was how scared Ayako sounded, how sweet Naru was to her yesterday, how friendly John was, how motherly Madoka acted, how Masako was always there to talk, how Yasuhara seemed to know everything, how Takigawa could always make her laugh, and, although Lin seemed so quiet, he really did care.

All of that made her cry even harder.

Suddenly, there was a heart-wrenching noise from underneath her. Mai's eyes widened. She was in the middle of the river, spanning twenty meters across. Mai looked down to see what she had been dreading all along.

The ice cracked sharply inches away from where she stood. Mai stayed where she was, shivering and crying, on the breaking and melting ice. If she only took one step, the ice would snap under her weight. If she merely stood there, the ice directly beneath her would eventually crack too.

Lovely.

_That arrogant jerk. He probably set me free just so I could drown out here. This is my consequence. He would have known that the river was melting. He's probably watching from one of the millions of windows I've had to clean, laughing. No, he was smirking. _

She had never seen him laugh.

Out of blind anger, Mai stomped her foot onto the snowy ice. In the next split second, she paid dearly for her idiotic mistake. The ice broke in two. She screamed.

Mai clawed at the ice to the sides of her, but they fell away as soon as she got a good hold on them. She dropped her carpetbag after serious deliberation, more tears falling from her cheeks. Her last tie with her mother – gone. But now – it was truly bittersweet – she'd get to see both her mother and father again.

It was so cold, everything around her. The layers of clothes she was wearing were weighing her down in the water, but her hands could barely move to take the layers off. She let out a pathetic moan as she slowly slipped under water.

The waters froze her to the bone. Mai blinked, trying to find a way out of this mess that had attacked her before she could do anything about it. Was it worth it to fight the river?

Yes. Yes, it was. After everything that had happened, she deserved a last chance. Using up the last of her energy, Mai lunged for the thick, frozen ice barely a meter away from her. Her body barely moved forward, flopping from side to side like a half-alive fish fighting for its life. Again she tried the same maneuver, and again it failed miserably.

Something pinched her shoulder and slowly moved down her arm, keeping a tight hold. Mai tried to shake away, but that just wasted the energy that could have been used for keeping her body heat above freezing. Everything was becoming so slow… so hazy… Nothing seemed to be going anywhere, in fact…

_Three minutes of freedom for this…_

And that was when her head broke the surface.

She was dragged out of the water and fell against her rescuer coughing. The man holding her checked her pulse, wrapped a blanket around her freezing body, and balanced her in his arms. He stood and turned on his heel with the young girl clutched to his chest.

Naru himself carried her back up to the mansion.

* * *

Mai woke up to a blazing fire and a warm wool blanket tucked around her. Squinting, she suddenly felt steam reach the tip of her nose. She blinked, once, twice, three times to clear her vision and saw what she thought wasn't possible.

"Take it."

She looked up into the ice blue eyes of Naru. Startled, she could only stare back between the cup of tea and the boy handing it to her. She was either dreaming or had drowned in the river and died. There was no way this could happen… Naru would never do something like this!

"Have you lost the ability to move as well as think?" he snapped, shoving the hot tea under her nose again.

Nope.

Never mind.

This was definitely Naru.

Mai felt a prickly heat of anger and embarrassment crawl up her cheeks, but she slowly pulled out her arms from underneath the blanket. She couldn't bring herself to unlock their gaze. A silent, heated battle was going on and if she broke her stare, she would just be admitting defeat.

"I'm sorry I'm such a burden to you," Mai shot back after grasping the saucer from his hands. Naru swiftly turned away and faced the fire..

"I had forgotten the ice was melting."

Mai growled under her breath. "And you suppose those words will make up for almost killing me?"

"It's not like it was my fault, Mai. I wasn't the one who made you stupidly stomp on the ice and fall through."

"You were watching me?" Mai didn't know whether to be pleased or slightly disturbed.

"I saved your life because of it. Don't sound so horrified."

Mai scowled. A new voice suddenly spoke from the doorway. "It was because of me he saw you fall."

Mai's head peeked around the sides of the chair, only just realizing Naru had placed her in his own chair that Naru was always perched in behind his desk. He'd moved it near the fireplace… for her. A flush of giddy excitement stained her face again, but she still couldn't see who had been talking.

"Matsuzaki-san, show yourself."

The feather duster came into view. Naru sighed heavily and again said, "Matsuzaki-san, please show _yourself_."

Ayako paused. "You don't mean—?"

"It's exactly what I mean. Now…" Naru bowed his head slightly, showing her to follow his orders. Mai looked between the two in confusion. What was going on? In the next few seconds, Mai realized exactly what Naru had meant when he said 'show yourself.' But she didn't get how or why at all…-

The small feather duster promptly fell over and Mai blinked, slightly taken aback. But above the duster, a shape was beginning to form. It was almost as if water vapor was forming to make… a person, if she saw it right. Vaguely transparent, Mai made out the materializing image of a woman in her twenties with long, dark hair, a tall, slender figure, and piercing, somewhat annoyed eyes. It was the same face of the woman she had seen in front of the duster on the first day she arrived here.

Mai gasped. The teacup fell to the ground and shattered.

This was a ghost.

"You—you can't be… are you…?" Mai couldn't complete the sentence.

"Dead? Yes, I am."

She had said it so confidently, so eager to get it out. The smile on her face was victorious. Mai stared at the spirit and Naru with incredulity before Ayako continued. "Along with the many other servants in this house," she spat at Naru, who ignored her gaze, "because of him."

These words made Mai sit upright, ignoring the cough swelling in her throat, and throw the blanket off of her. "What?"

Naru glared at Ayako with such intensity, Mai thought she was going to sink back into the duster she had been… possessing. Ayako merely sniffed, sticking her nose up into the air, and turned away.

"That wasn't exactly how I wanted to tell you, Mai… but it's true."

"Huh? What's true?" Mai sputtered, still perplexed.

Ayako gave a short breath of scathing laughter. "Can I?" she asked Naru a little too willingly, who waved his hand dismissively.

"Do as you please, because I'm not going to. I can't. Not now."

Ayako walked calmly up to where Mai was sitting and looked down at her. In that moment, her eyes softened and she leaned down to Mai's level. She took in a deep breath, pulled her hair from her eyes, and laid a translucent hand over Mai's. Suddenly, it felt as if her hand had been dunked in ice water. Mai swallowed and looked at the ghost, silently begging for an explanation.

"We're _all _dead, Mai."

Her heart stopped in her throat.

"Every last one of us. Takigawa-san, Masako, John, Yasuhara-san, Mori-san, even Lin-san. We were all murdered… by the master. Up in the West Wing." Her voice held disgust as she glanced back at Naru. It seemed like he wasn't listening – or, at least, didn't want to listen. In a small voice, Ayako added, "Our bodies are still even in this very castle."

Mai's jaw hung slack, her heart racing faster than ever before. "No… I don't… I don't believe it."

"How can you possibly not believe this, Mai? A ghost is standing in front of you. I can show you the bloody knife that I killed them with. I can even show you that murder scene that's been _lying in my manor_ for nearly four years!" Naru yelled, and then drew back, running a hand through his hair. He turned around and silently walked back to the windows. Mai watched him go with a confused, rejected expression.

"That's not what I meant. I don't believe you would kill your friends, Naru." Mai just barely caught the smile that flashed across Ayako's face. Naru didn't turn around. "I don't understand. How could this happen?" Mai demanded, her voice cracking.

"Matsuzaki-san…"

"Yes, I know, I know. I can tell you the whole story." Ayako sighed deeply. Mai was still in shock by the form she had so suddenly taken. "A long time ago, we were actually all happy here. We lived here together. We weren't servants - we were friends… family," she whispered dazedly, remembering what once was.

"Naru really hasn't changed much, though. He's still the selfish brat he always was. He's just more of a recluse now. His parents had entrusted him with running this place… and he just loved that power. With all the money he had, he bought artifacts galore."

Ayako motioned around the walls, where many odd trinkets stood out at them, their dark colors blending into the walls.

"I don't know if you realized it, but Naru is a bit of a supernatural freak," Ayako stated, choosing her words harshly. Mai giggled. She would have been blind if she hadn't noticed. "And one artifact he bought was this supposed cursed knife, encrusted with diamonds on the handle. He didn't believe the curse."

"What was the curse supposed to do?" Mai asked.

"It was said the knife enhanced a person's emotions… and could control them with those wild emotions."

Mai could only imagine what had happened after that, especially after being on the receiving end of Naru's unbridled anger.

"Even today, after nearly four years, I don't remember why he was so angry. But that night in the West Wing, while we were having a party, he killed us all. It was terrifying. That dagger he used… that knife… it still lies in that very room, still covered in our blood." Ayako shuddered.

"Our bodies remain preserved because of the curse, like we had just been killed only minutes ago. We remain as ghosts until a total of fifteen hundred days are up. When either that day comes or the last drop of blood is cleaned from the dagger, our deaths are permanent. We leave this mansion forever. But to break the curse, to bring us back to life… well, that's Naru's job."

Mai barely heard Ayako's last few words. A sick feeling had turned her world upside down after this horror story. Oh, God. The nightmares… oh, the nightmares had been…

"I saw you all die," Mai whispered, collapsing back into the chair again. The air was gone from her lungs and the world looked grey. Naru and Ayako looked on, their eyes widening simultaneously.

"_What_?" Ayako snapped.

"Well, three of you. I… I think. I had nightmares for three days last week, but then I stayed up 'cause they were scary as _hell_. But then, just now, I realized… they were the deaths that happened in here. In this mansion. It sounds like it, at least…"

"What did you see? What happened?" Ayako questioned immediately.

"I… I was stabbed through the heart, pretty much bludgeoned to death, and my throat was slit."

Ayako looked horror-struck, a hand against her chest, utterly speechless. It was clear that if she had not been dead already, she would have fainted on the spot. Naru explained.

"You witnessed Matsuzaki-san's, Takigawa-san's, and Hara-san's deaths, Mai. Well, _experienced_ them as if they were your own. If you had continued on with the nightmares, I'm positive of the fact you would have seen John's, Yasuhara-san's, Madoka's, and Lin's. In that order."

Sense crashed into her like a boulder. Of course. This was why the nightmares had been gone after seven nights. On the eighth night, when she had finally fallen asleep again, there was nothing left to see. No more secrets to be revealed.

Now the pieces were falling into place, showing her the picture she wasn't able to see before. It was how these unexplainable things kept happening at this manor. How her clothes made it onto her bed every morning - that had been Masako abandoning the dresser. Why Yasuhara seemed so quiet every morning – he had been abandoning the bookshelf. The man that looked like a ghost – the one Naru had denied ever existed…

"So when I saw the man… who was that?" Mai gasped, eyes widening.

"That was actually Lin. You had seen him when he was a human. He was being careless and had abandoned the form he was supposed to keep with you in the manor. I guess he just got tired of being smaller than Masako," she said with a renewed grin.

"All right, story time is over. Mai, you will go back to your room and rest. Ayako… stay here," Naru decided. Ayako raised an eyebrow.

"I… I can stay?!" Mai yelped.

"I can't have the rest of the world knowing I'm a killer. A murderer. Of course you will stay. You will still work to pay off your debt, though."

The brusque words dampened her attitude, but at least she would continue on her life here. A murderer… Naru… could it really be? As she looked up at him, searching him slowly, she saw him in a different light. This young boy, barely older than she… already with the blood of seven people on his hands. How worried he must have been about being found out.

"I will see you tomorrow, Mai. Goodbye."

Mai stood and walked from the room. A mixture of shock, anxiety, and elation swelled in the pit of her stomach. After all of the mess that had happened, she was still alive, still here, still kicking. Wow. Mai halted outside the door, wondering what Naru needed to talk to Ayako about. Easing herself backwards, Mai listened hard for anything of significance.

If there was one thing she learned today, it was that rules were meant to be broken.

"You can go tell everyone that they do not have to keep their ghost forms hidden anymore. Tell them also that Mai knows what happened," Naru ordered. Ayako scoffed at his bossy tone.

"Yeah, sure, sure. Whatever you wish, _master_. But, Naru… you didn't tell her the most important part!" Ayako insisted. Mai's eyebrows drew together. What could be more important than that story?

Evidently, Naru felt the same way she did. "Oh, I didn't? And what would that be - besides the fact that you are all _dead_?"

Ayako groaned loudly, and Mai was sure that she heard a foot stomp on the rug. "You know perfectly well! You don't have a lot of time left. Naru, you _must _get her to—!"

Naru cut her off with a choppy tone. "I know. I'm not going to force it on her. Now… get out."

"You're such a bastard," were Ayako's parting words. Mai jumped away from the door, and leapt for the nearest curtain as Ayako exited, leaving the door wide open.

"Thank you," Naru muttered. "And you're a bitch, Ayako. But you don't see me complaining..." Mai smiled to herself at the cynicism in his voice. At least he wasn't denying the facts.

After checking if the coast was clear, she drew away from her hiding spot and started back on the way toward her room. Mai knew now what the seventy-seven days was that had been haunting her dreams. She had seventy-seven days to save their lives.

But how?

* * *

**A/N: Yes, yes… how?**

**Please leave a review if you would be so kind. I have 77 alerts and 41 favorites on this story… yet I'm getting only about 12 reviews per chapter. Is it too rude to ask you all just to leave a couple words? :) **

**Thank you for reading!**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Fun fact - Yasuhara was originally planned as the Gaston character in this story. But then **_**that**_** plot went absolutely nowhere. :) Thank you all so much for so many reviews on the last chapter! **

**Part of this chapter was heavily inspired by the Haunted Mansion ride in Disneyland and a scene from Anastasia. :)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ghost Hunt, Vic Mignogna would be in it. But I'm not that lucky.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Bittersweet and Strange

"Well. Welcome back," a snippy voice greeted her as she reentered her room. Upon instinct, Mai turned toward the dresser to shoot back a comment just as sarcastic to Masako, but found that the face she was so used to seeing was gone. Her stomach was suddenly hollow.

"Over here, Mai," Yasuhara said. Mai welcomed his tone, which proved to be the opposite of Masako's. She swallowed and turned to face the pair. Yasuhara towered over Masako's tiny frame. Both were dressed formally, to her surprise, with Masako donning a dark blue kimono and Yasuhara looked rather dashing in a classic tuxedo.

"You like what you see, do you?" he smirked, running his hand over his jacket. Mai giggled.

"So, you're all like… this?" Mai asked, unable to come up with words for their ghostly condition.

"Are they all as handsome as me? Well, they'd like to think so, but…" Yasuhara went off, but Masako interrupted. She sent Yasuhara a haughty look which he returned with a serene smile, running his hand through his hair and fixing his glasses.

"Yes. If you walk around the house, everyone will be just like this. Ghosts, I mean," Masako explained, sending another look toward Yashuara. "And everyone will probably be celebrating. We can finally leave this bedroom." A hint of emotion other than disdain stood out proudly in Masako's voice. Freedom.

"I can be your personal escort, Mai-chan," Yasuhara volunteered. "It's been a while since I walked around this place. And it'll nice to see everyone again. _Actually _see everyone."

Masako's expression turned from snooty to longing in a matter of seconds. Mai hid a grin. It seemed that this was exactly what Yasuhara had planned. He moved away from Masako to stand next to Mai. He laid a transparent hand on her shoulder and smiled back at Masako. "Do you want to come with us, Masako-chan?"

Masako tried to make it look like she really didn't want to come along with the two of them, made it look like she really wanted to stay in the room with the peace and quiet of dusk. But Mai saw through that act in an instant. Masako bit her lip and sighed.

"All right, why not? And it will be nice seeing everyone again."

Yasuhara's grin widened and he sent a wink to Mai. Before she knew it, she was out the door and walking down the semi-lightened halls of the manor, flanked on either side by Yasuhara and Masako. Mai took in a deep breath. Somehow, this seemed a lot more normal than walking the halls with what would have been a bookcase and wardrobe.

…even those they were ghosts. _Dead_ ghosts, to state the obvious. And Naru – her _boss_, the one who had pretty much just saved her life – had killed them. Murdered them. Mai once again tried to wrap her brain around this tragic fact.

But she had to give him a little credit. After all, the curse on the knife had caused him to kill. It wasn't his choice. Yes, he could have _prevented_ it from happening all together, but, still… Ugh. Here she was trying to prove to herself that Naru was innocent. Those two words just didn't make sense together.

"Mai-chan!" Takigawa's voice bellowed, snapping her from her thoughts. Mai caught herself before her eyes fell to the ground searching for the candelabra. Instead, she looked ahead in time to see a lanky man in his mid-twenties come at her full speed. She was picked up off the ground and swung in a circle, and then brought into a tight hug.

"Man, it feels good to do that again," Takigawa chuckled, setting Mai safe on the ground again. Her eyes were wide, taken completely off guard. Takigawa pulled on the cuffs of his dark blue jacket and loosened his white tie. He was dressed just as formally as Masako and Yasuhara. Didn't Ayako say something about having a party the night it all happened?

"How did you…? But you're a…? Wouldn't you just…?" Mai ran her hands through her hair and sighed. "I don't get it."

Takigawa laughed again, ruffling her hair. It felt like a window had suddenly blown open and icy wind rushed over her scalp.

"It's a little thing called state of mind, Mai-chan. I can either pass right through you—" He placed a hand on her shoulder, but it slipped right through as if nothing was there. Mai jerked away – it was as if ice had just been injected into her blood "—or I can't." This time when he put his hand on her shoulder, he pressed down softly. Mai felt the pressure of his hand.

"Whoa," was all she could think to say. Takigawa kept that smirk on his face and shook his head.

"I never realized you were this easy to impress."

Mai giggled. "_I_ never realized you were actually six feet tall."

"Ah, ah, ah," Takigawa scolded lightly, wagging a finger in her face. "Six-two."

Mai raised her hands in defeat and turned so she could see Masako, Yasuhara, and Takigawa together. It was quite a sight, and Mai had a feeling it was all about to get more interesting. After all, she still had John, Madoka, and Lin to find…

"Where is everyone else? I want to see everyone!"

Takigawa rubbed his chin. "Well, John and Madoka are usually in the kitchen. And if I know Lin, he's usually anywhere Madoka is. So our best bet would be the kitchen. You've already seen Ayako, correct?" Mai nodded eagerly. Takigawa scoffed and placed a hand over his eyes. "Good God, she was in an awful mood after she came back from Naru's office. So just… be careful around her, you got that? All three of you."

Mai nodded again, understanding exactly why Ayako had been so pissed off. She would be too if she had been in the woman's shoes. There was silence for a few moments longer, until Mai pivoted and went sprinting down the hallway, heading toward the kitchen. Following the girl with a shared smile, the three ran off after her.

She was just the cure they needed.

"…and so I think that in celebration we should—" Madoka was cut off by the heavy door slamming open.

"Hello!" Mai burst into the room, out of breath and grinning wildly. The three ghosts hiding out in the kitchen turned toward her, each face clicking with a name in her mind. John was the shortest of the three, with bright eyes and short hair. Her eyes flicked to Madoka next. The young woman was a fair amount taller than John, with wavy hair and a Cheshire cat grin that could only speak trouble. Mai saw the one familiar ghost, the one she had seen days ago. Lin looked the same with dark hair that hung over his eyes and a black and white outfit. Now just to find…

Ayako's voice rang out, loud and shrill, from the doorway. "Aren't you supposed to be _resting_, Mai-chan?"

And then, just like that, everyone was here. Mai couldn't keep the little smile from sneaking onto her face.

"She already has," Takigawa replied, shooting a glance to Yasuhara and Masako for backup. Yasuhara jumped in without missing a beat.

"Yeah, she went right to sleep," he said, patting Mai on the head. Mai's head bobbed frantically through all of this, agreeing but not trusting herself enough to speak. Ayako rolled her eyes and looked behind the three of them.

"Masako?" Ayako snapped, raising her eyebrows. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're the only word I'll believe. Is this true?"

Masako nodded. Mai bit the inside of her lip to keep her jaw from dropping. "She only woke up after Bou-san here barged into the room. She couldn't go back to sleep after that, so we all decided we'd walk her around the castle. She did want to see everyone, after all." Mai blinked. After that effortless lie, she wondered if Masako had lied about anything else.

Ayako ground her teeth but could find no comeback. Takigawa swiveled toward Madoka and replaced that cheeky grin on his face.

"So… what was that you were saying about a celebration, Madoka-chan?"

Their expressions suddenly matched.

"Well, because of the current events," Madoka motioned to their ghostly forms, "I thought a little… party for us was necessary. Mai, you are welcome to come as well, of course. The more the merrier, right?" Madoka's grin was bordering between mischievous and just plain evil. "And Mai, dear, you mustn't come without a date."

And that was it. That was the ulterior motive. Somehow, Mai didn't hate the idea as much as she knew she should have.

"How do you expect me to get Naru to come to party, even if it's just with you guys?" Mai asked, screwing up her face. Glances hidden from Mai were passed around the room. Madoka's eyes glittered brighter than ever before. Without even realizing it, Mai took a small step back.

"I never said anything about Naru, but now that I think about it, that's a lovely idea!" Madoka clapped, laughing. "I guess you'll have to go get ready then. Masako, can you help Mai here pick out an outfit? Make sure it's suitable for tonight. Lin, you can tell Naru of the celebration. My goodness, look at the time! I've got so many things to do if I want this all to happen tonight! See you all later!"

Madoka was gone before either Lin or Mai could get a word of protest in. Mai sighed and crossed her arms. It was only useless if she tried to protest and maybe a party was something they all needed. But then her thoughts returned to when their last party had been thrown… and they had all been murdered. Chills ran up her spine, but Mai shook the feeling off. If everyone else seemed to be okay with the party idea then so was she.

"I have a lot of work to do, as well, Mai," Masako said, not bothering to hide snootiness in her voice. Masako gave her a look from her knotted, damp hair to her squeaking shoes. Mai laughed sheepishly.

"Might as well get started then, right?" Mai grinned. Masako rolled her eyes, but Mai saw the trace of a smile linger on Masako's doll-like face as she walked out the door. A sense of accomplishment came over her as she ran out behind her.

"I already know what you're going to wear. You're about my size so it should fit you," Masako said, gliding along in front. Mai jogged to keep up, and opened her mouth to ask another question, but Masako cut in and read her mind. "The dress is a knee-length ivory dress. The fabric is the highest quality of velveteen there is, and if you rip or stain this dress…" Masako trailed off, giving Mai a look. "Well, let's just say you do not want this dress ruined."

She heard the threat loud and clear.

"We can put part of your hair back, too. I'm sure I have white ribbon around here somewhere. After you take a shower, I'll have everything ready."

And in no more than an hour, Mai was staring at a girl in the mirror that was supposed to be her. Part of her still didn't believe it. Well, almost all of her still didn't believe that she was here, about to go to a party with a bunch of dead people… and her boss.

"There. After a lot of work, you're finished. Madoka will come in when she's ready for us."

"Do you really think Naru will come to the party?" Mai asked, unable to help herself. Masako put a sleeved hand to her mouth. Her eyebrows drew together ever so slightly, but she shrugged.

"I can't be certain. Lin can be a very hard person to say no to, but since this is Naru we're talking about…"

Mai laughed softly. Masako didn't need to finish her sentence. They sat in an awkward silence for a few more moments. Mai brushed a hair through her hair and Masako swatted her hand away, worried that the pretty updo she had spent the past hour working on would fall out.

"Y'know… Mai…" Masako began once more, walking back out into the bedroom. Mai took this as sign to follow her and they both took a seat on her bed. She couldn't help but notice that when Masako sat down, it left no impression on the bedcovers. "I can guarantee that if you ask Naru to the party tonight, he will say yes."

Mai blinked. "Me? If _I_ asked him? Do I have to remind you that he threw me out of the house this morning for going into a room?" she sputtered, but Masako's assured expression didn't falter. Mai slumped back against one of the bed posts and asked softly, "What makes you so sure?"

"If only it was her place to tell you," Madoka said with a smile. The two girls spun to see Madoka enter the room with a flourish. Masako laughed slightly and slid off the bed.

"Had a change of heart, then? Usually you would be the one to jump at _that _opportunity."

"No, but I thought obeying Naru for once gave us a better chance of him attending out little celebration. But your idea, Masako-chan, is much better." Madoka turned to Mai with that infamous grin again playing upon her lips. "She's right, Mai. If Naru hasn't consented already to Lin-san, he will most certainly say yes if _you_ asked him."

Mai scoffed. "Does no one really remember that I'm not even supposed to be here right now? I would be walking home… or dead. I don't see why you think he'd just change his mind about me."

"You'd be surprised," Masako muttered against her sleeve. Madoka sent her a dangerous look, and walked back toward Mai, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Mai, dear, everything happens for a reason. We've known Naru longer than you. Almost a little too well, unfortunately, but you can trust us when we say what we say about the… master." Madoka made a face. "He'll say yes. I promise you."

Mai hesitated.

"We'll even come with you. We'll be right by your side the whole time if you're intimidated by him," Madoka continued.

"I'm not intimidated by him!" Mai interjected, stomping her foot.

"Then there's nothing to lose. Go on." Madoka shooed her forward. Mai walked with her head held high and made it to the door with her hand on the knob. She tensed, and turned back around again, meeting gazes with an expectant Madoka and a cool Masako.

"But… it would be nice if you both came along."

Amused smiles passed over their faces. Together they made the short but nerve-wracking (for Mai, anyway) journey to Naru's office. Mai wandered several steps ahead of Madoka and Masako, feeling she needed to do this somewhat on her own. The other two were just there for silent moral support.

"Wouldn't he be in his bedroom, not his office?" Mai asked, falling back into step with her friends. "I mean, if he was considering going." Masako shook her head.

"His bedroom is connected to his office. It's hidden behind one of the bookcases next to the fireplace," she said smoothly. Mai stared. That explained so much.

"Of course she would know where his bedroom was," Madoka chuckled under her breath. Mai pressed a hand to her lips to keep her laughter in. If looks could kill, even ghosts who got in the way of that glare would have vanished on the spot.

Still smiling, Mai strode forward and knocked on the door. Lin answered, towering over all of them. Mai half-expected him to greet them with something, and then remembered this was _Lin_. He leaned against the open door, waiting for a reason for this intrusion.

"Um… is Naru in there? I, uh, wanted to… well, you see…" Mai swallowed, wondering what she should say. Masako gave her a sharp poke in the back and Mai finished, "I wanted to invitehimtothepartytonightpersonally."

Lin's eyebrows rose. His gaze shot from Mai to Masako and Madoka, most likely telling Lin silently to get the hint, and then back to Mai. A small smile passed over his face and he nodded.

"I'll go get him for you."

The door was tugged shut. Mai stepped back and let her breath out, covering her eyes with a hand. Madoka only had time to reach up and squeeze her hand as a sign of a job well done (the first part of the job, anyway) before the door swung open again. There stood Naru in all of his selfish glory. One hand clutched the silver mirror, poorly hidden behind back, the other running through his messy hair. Lightless eyes paralyzed her.

What had she come here for again?

Masako gave her another sharp shove, nearly sending her face-first into Naru's chest. He caught her by a shoulder and pushed her back upright. Mai steadied herself and sent a glare back to Masako while tossing her hair out of her face.

"There was something you wanted to tell me, correct? Otherwise, I'm just wasting my time out here."

"Right!" Mai chirped, he voice coming out awkwardly high. She gave a meek cough, took in a deep breath, and looked up at Naru. "I wanted to invite you to the party tonight. Personally. The two of us going together. Tonight—"

Naru held up a hand. Mai swallowed to silence her babbling and looked on, biting her lip. Naru's gaze looked her up and down, registering she had dressed up just for this party. Naru blinked – and then disappeared back into his room with a slam of the door.

"That was a no, wasn't it?" Mai found her voice as the ringing in her ears stopped. There was silence before the answer came.

"No… I actually think that was a yes," Masako whispered, the smile horribly hidden in her voice. Mai scoffed, trying to make way back down the hall. The brutal rejection was already getting to her. But she supposed she shouldn't have expected a light letdown from _Naru…_

Madoka caught her by the arm and swung her back around in front of the door. "I-I think she's serious, Mai. Naru wouldn't have missed the chance to say no if that was what he wanted to say. He didn't seem angry, either… maybe a little surprised?" Madoka guessed. Both ghosts had identical expressions of confusion etched on their faces. They couldn't be serious.

"I'm going to the ballroom. I think I'll have a better time in there where I'm not constantly reminded of him." Mai yanked herself out of Madoka's scary-strong grip and once more made her way back down the hall. She was going to make the best of this night, whether it was spent with Naru or not.

"Ah, Mai-san?"

Mai spun around at the sound of Lin's voice. Masako and Madoka listened in, eyebrows raised.

"Naru wanted me to tell you that he will meet you outside the ballroom and escort you to the party… or at least inside the doors. He wanted to put on the proper attire for your… date. He also says thank you for the invitation."

Mai had no words for this. She stood there gawking at Lin, trying to think of something intelligent to say.

"Uh… wow. Okay. I guess… then I'll… be waiting… there. Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna go…" Mai motioned behind her, knowing that the sentence she had barely put together sounded stupider than anything and took a clumsy step back. Masako giggled behind her sleeve.

"I'll go with you, Mai-chan. That way you won't be waiting for your date alone," Masako said with a hint of teasing in her voice. The grin that had made its way onto her face told them what she thought otherwise.

"Naru actually said that? Thank you? You made it all seem so eloquent," Madoka hissed as Masako and Mai left in shrieked whispers. Lin shrugged and moved closer to Madoka, his eyes a little brighter than usual.

"More or less. I might have reworded it a little, but what Naru doesn't know can't hurt him and also makes Mai a little happier."

Madoka smiled and shook her head. "I can't believe this has gotten under _your_ skin."

"We all want this to end, Madoka. And now that we're so close, a little extra push won't hurt," Lin replied, keeping that serene face. Madoka gave a weak laugh. Their time was almost up, but hopefully their happy ending would come sooner.

"Right. Right…"

"But…" Lin started again, his voice soft and slightly confused. "I didn't make up everything Naru said. He told me tell her to wait for him at the ballroom doors and to say thank you. He seemed a little… out of breath. It took a little while for the words to come out of his mouth," Lin said. He stared back at the master's door, thinking this all over. "I really do think this is heading in the right direction."

Madoka brushed a hand through her hair and sighed. For the first time in a while, the women held her excitement together and kept her expression serene. "We all hope so."

* * *

"He's late," Mai whined, smoothing her dress over and over. Masako looked well enough like she was going to shoot Mai herself. She definitely regretted keeping Mai company before this party.

"Just relax. You know Naru. He'll get here when he feels like it and he'll just say that everyone else is early."

Mai slumped back against the wall with a bang and pouted. She should have expected this to happen. Even though she hadn't actually expected him to say yes in the first place, there had to be a catch somewhere. How pathetic would it be if she was stood up in her own home?

Mai had a feeling if Naru didn't show, she would be marching back up to his office and kicking some serious—

"Mai, stand up straight!" Masako hissed out of the corner of her mouth, staring off down the hall. "And act like we were actually talking about something other than Naru!"

Mai did ask she was told and Masako immediately began a new, rather loud conversation, "So that's why you think Yasuhara is gay?"

Mai suddenly found herself clutching her stomach, giggling uncontrollably. Out of anything Masako could have chosen, that probably was the best. Masako attempted to hide the proud smile that was edging its way onto her porcelain face. She placed a sleeve to her lips and waited for Mai to return to her normal color.

If Naru had heard, he hadn't cared. He glided over and laid a hand on Mai's shoulder. Mai jumped and swiveled around, calming herself in seconds. Her eyes traveled over Naru's chosen outfit for the night. He looked much more… _regal_ tonight. No less stuck up, but just older, wiser. He was still in his traditional black outfit, but tonight he had added a silver silk tie, pinned with a shined clasp. Mai stood in wonder.

Naru's attention turned to the third wheel. His glare practically screamed 'go away' at Masako, but she got the message loud and clear. Masako slipped back into the ballroom with a small smile still hidden by her sleeve. Unsure of what to say, the two of them stood in the dimly lit hallway, each waiting for the other to begin their conversation.

It was silently decided tonight was not the night for words. Stories, accusations, lies had been tossed around all day, but no amount of words was going to ruin this night. Naru held out his arm, and together, the two of them walked through the doors.

The scene was breathtaking.

The twinkling chandelier up above rained light on the huge room. The ghosts were scatted about the room, all most certainly ready for a relaxing night. Every window against the circular far wall was open, allowing the night sky as their backdrop. Chimes were places at each open window, so that whenever cool air rushed in, music would play with it.

The ballroom itself looked brand new, very much unlike the rest of this decrepit manor. Mai was sure she had never been in here, with gorgeous, floor-to-ceiling designs embossed with gold and painted with hues of blue. The floor was made of sleek marble, the image of perfection. The domed ceiling was the same royal blue color as parts of the walls.

There was a very good chance this room had never been used.

"It's not much, but I suppose it will have to do for tonight," Naru muttered next to her. She spun to call him out on that, but soon saw the jesting glimmer in his eyes and the same emotion reflecting upon his upturned lips. Mai's frustration soon turned to delight and she beamed.

Finally this night was something that was up to Naru's ridiculously high standards. And she would get to spend it with him.

"Well, someone's impressed," Takigawa said, stepping into her line of view. He had caught sight of the stars in her eyes. Mai laughed and wanted to twirl under the bright lights of the chandelier.

"It's amazing! It's like I'm in a different building!" Mai gushed.

"Give Madoka all that credit. She did most of the work. Organized and supervised most of the work at least." Takigawa cringed, giving Mai an idea of how Madoka had supervised. A gentle breeze swept through the windows, allowing the chimes to ring out a makeshift melody.

"I think I'll leave the two of you alone. Have a wonderful night." With a wink that surely meant more than good luck, Takigawa bowed out. Mai watched him rejoin Ayako, grinning and shooting her unabashed, teasing remarks, before turning back to Naru.

"This may be unorthodox, but I want my night to start." After taking in Naru's hilariously confused face, Mai curtsied, and extended her hand. "Naru, may I have the pleasure of having this first dance?"

He continued to stare at her as if she were crazy and opened his mouth in such a way that she was sure she was going to hear another insult. But Naru had decided to be merciful tonight.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"You actually know how to dance?" Mai asked him as his hand glided to her waist. Blue eyes seemed to come to life for a moment, like a lightning flash, but the brightness died as she looked harder.

"Are you doubting my infinite knowledge?" he replied with a raise of his eyebrows. Mai rolled her eyes as he continued to guide her around the room with effortless grace. The floor seemed to evaporate under their feet as they twirled and twirled. Mai didn't want to stop.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Mai said. "And I don't think there's anything you can do about it."

The teasing lilt in their tones and the smiles at their lips were clear as day to the seven who watched.

Mai tugged him faster to their unheard, inspiring orchestra and soon enough, she was the one leading them in their waltz. Mai's contagious laughter rang along with the wind chimes, pulling at everyone's heartstrings.

Takigawa, with a grand leap of faith, grabbed Ayako's hand and together they moved into step along with Mai and Naru. After a small, fierce battle, the new pair began to dance smoothly, with Ayako rolling her eyes at the shameless monk, but blushing at the same time.

Takigawa's risk allowed Madoka to gather up any extra courage and grin suggestively at Lin. He held out his hand to the beaming woman. Now three couples moved to music brought by the rushing of wind. It was not long before John and Masako joined in and Yasuhara stood alone. He caught Mai's eye a few times while the dance continued, and she could tell just by the gleam off his glasses that he was laughing at her. Laughing at the way she so easily let her guard down to dance with Naru. Laughing at everyone else because they had seemingly put on this party for very selfish reasons, and ended up enjoying it themselves.

And laughing at himself at the idea that was just beginning.

Mai wished she could have a picture of the ballroom right now. Four couples circling around the ballroom with nonexistent music that stirred the coldest soul. It was like a dream, or a dream from a dream. Whatever it was, Mai knew it was magical and she loved every second of it.

Over the roar of their personal music, out of the corner of her eye, Mai saw Yasuhara cut in to John and Masako's dance, allowing John to bow out blushing. It wasn't long before the next time Mai saw Yasuhara – and now John and Masako were dancing together again. Yasuhara was carrying on a conversation with Madoka. Mai could almost see the smile on Lin's face that he always hid so slyly.

And then Ayako became the one with no partner. Mai couldn't help but laugh out loud, causing Naru to give her a stare that she just shook her head at. He would have stopped paying attention to her if she knew. For once, Mai liked that attention.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Naru brought her back into conversation after a long time in silence.

"Very much. You actually seem to like this, too," Mai laughed in slight disbelief.

Naru shrugged. "It's something different. Something new. And everyone isn't restricted by those ridiculous household items, so it's only natural they'd want to celebrate."

"Everyone gets to be themselves. It's nice," Mai nodded. "And – and I'm happy you accepted my invitation. I was kind of surprised you did, actually." She swallowed, suddenly becoming more interested in perfectly timing her steps by staring intently at her shoes.

Naru nearly pulled her to a stop. Looking shut down, he snapped, "Why?"

Mai struggled to keep her laughter in at his very honest reaction. Did he really not know? Understand? Realize that most of the time he was a cold bastard who didn't even seem to care about his life, much less the lives of the eight people he lived with?

Naru blinked.

Guess not.

"W-well… you kind of shut the door in my face without answering me. And you're always so busy with your own work, so you don't really seem like the let-go-and-have-fun type of person. At all."

Naru only looked affronted momentarily, and then realized Mai was just stating the obvious. "No?" Naru replied, all traces of humility gone from his voice. "I guess you could say I used to be."

Mai snorted. The glint behind Naru's eyes told her that there was truth behind his words and her jesting smile fell into disbelief.

"Yes," Naru cut off the rebuttal outlined on Mai's lips. "Before…" Naru indicated the current conditions of the other dancing couples, and Mai nodded, showing her understanding. "Do you really think we were all a bunch of boring business people? We were children of wealthy families and had our lives set out for us. We… liked to have a good time."

"I still don't believe it," Mai said.

"_I_ wasn't the one who got drunk and ended up being taken home by Takigawa at every party. I enjoyed the company. Most of the time."

"Ah, _now _I see. That sounds a little more like you," Mai smiled. He had been about to say something, probably had been about to crush her good attitude, but a grinning, triumphant Yasuhara appeared behind him. After successfully cutting into the dances of every couple on the floor, some twice, he was going for the grand prize.

Naru stiffened and pulled Mai a little closer to him, but as the night grew later, the dances began to slow. It didn't take much for Yasuhara to keep up.

"Can I cut in?"

"No," was Naru's blunt answer. Yasuhara had been expecting this; he didn't seem jarred in the least. The assured smile spread his lips farther and his glasses flashed.

"You've stolen Mai away from us this whole night, Shibuya-san. I can't let her have a little fun with me tonight?" Yasuhara's pout was ridiculous and made Mai think of a kicked puppy, but naru was impervious to all things cute, fluffy, and adorable.

Naru stared at him, boring holes through his skull. "Go back to Takigawa-san, Yasuhara-san," he intoned and certainly didn't seem like he was kidding.

"But Ayako will _kill_ me if I interrupt their dance again!"

Now both Mai and Naru gave him a glare until he realized what he had said.

"Oh… right." With a soft laugh, he motioned to his apparition of a body. "Guess I don't seem to notice it as much as you two do, huh? Can't there be something we could do to change that?"

The dance stopped then and there. The lights seemed to dim and the walls rattled. Mai gazed around in shock, still gasping Naru's hand and feeling the comfort of his arm around his waist. What was going on…?

"Actually Ayako did say something to me before she left the room this morning. She—"

"Mai, would you like to go outside onto the balcony with me? It's a lovely night, and it seems to be getting a little _stuffy_ in here." Naru fixed his gaze on her, waiting a little too expectantly for an answer. Yasuhara just smiled, wanting Mai to finish her sentence. Her view darted from Yasuhara to Naru and then back again. Mai bit her lip and grasped Naru's hand tighter.

"It looks beautiful out, Naru."

With a triumphant glare shot back at the shut-down young man, Naru led her away from the pestering teen. Mai turned her head back around to mouth at Yasuhara, 'I'm sorry.'

He raised a hand and shook his head, instantly forgiving her. Mai forced a smile and then focused herself on enjoying the moonlight with Naru and Naru alone.

…Oh boy.

* * *

Walking back to her room in the dark hallways was much easier when Naru was around. After a long night of talking – just _talking_, and this may have been the best night of her life – Mai began to feel the effects of minimal sleep dragging her down. Naru hadn't hesitated in taking her back himself.

Mai could hear the whispers and feel the stares even now.

And so here she was leaning against Naru and slumping along in a dress that was now rubbing at raw skin and shoes that were not made for hours and hours of dancing or standing. No words had been exchanged since Mai had nearly fallen asleep and bashed her forehead in on the balcony.

"I can't believe tonight's already over," Mai whispered more to herself than to Naru. He exhaled sharply and allowed a smile at the edges of his lips.

"What do you mean by that?" He probably just wanted to hear her fawn more over the night they had spent together, just shooting his ego through the roof – and, even though it injured Mai's pride, that was exactly what she was going to say.

"Well… it was _fun_. And now it's just over like that. It went by too fast." She raised her head to gaze at him. He rolled his eyes at her gesture. Mai giggled and flopped her head back against him. At least he understood her.

"I'm sure if you ask Madoka or Ayako… or Yasuhara, for that matter, they will be more than happy to put on another one of these parties tomorrow morning. And tomorrow night… and the morning after."

Mai jostled his side, scoffing good-naturedly. "I get your point. But…" She sighed. "All good things in moderation. I don't want to get sick of this. It was…" Mai yawned, her steps falling even more out of sync, "fun."

"You said that already, Mai," Naru replied softly. Mai made a sound, coming out something like, 'Hmmne,' unable to put together an understandable sentence. Naru sighed and found his way to her room, half-carrying her there. Mai heard him kick open her door and felt the bedspread under her fingertips. She smiled as she slumped back onto the pillows.

"Naru?" Mai said weakly, stopping him in his tracks. "Thank you."

Naru stared at her for what seemed like the longest time and felt compelled to reply.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you, Mai."

She didn't respond. She hadn't even heard him. Mai was already asleep.

_

* * *

_

_Just a little change  
Small to say the least  
Both a little scared  
Neither one prepared  
Beauty and the Beast_

* * *

Something was wrong.

Mai raced down the halls, her heart pounding erratically, hearing yells bounce across the corridors. They had to be coming from somewhere, and that somewhere was exactly where Mai was headed.

It sounded like Naru, yelling and screaming and ready to kill. _Kill_.

Again.

Ice shot straight down her spine, causing her to run faster, away from her fears, away from the fact that she was living with a murderer. She knew him as Naru, the jackassy, arrogant bastard who on more occasion than one proved to be loyal and actually care. She dearly hoped he was all right. Otherwise… she wasn't sure what would happen to her.

Mai saw the door to that too familiar balcony wide open. Her breath caught in her throat as shadows shifted, nearing the door. Mai ducked against the wall and listened to the fighting match.

"Leave! Leave now, or I swear on my grave I will throw you over this ledge!"

"Really? Your grave…?" An idea bubbled into existence with just those few words. Footsteps shuffled slightly, grunts were heard, and something clattered to the ground. All in a rush, there was an awful splintering sound and a moan of delirious pain.

And then laughter.

"You said you swore on your grave."

Mai pressed herself up against the wall as the attacker left in a rush, shielding herself from their view.

As soon as the stomping faded into the distance, Mai swung herself around the door outside—

And screamed.

His shirt was torn open and bruises peppered his chest. He looked so defenseless shoved up against the corner of the balcony, half conscious and barely breathing. Dashing to his side to gain only scraped knees, she hastened to move his hair out of his eyes, but only felt her fingers come in contact with blood. Mai held her gasp in, but didn't even bother brushing the blood off.

"Mai, you need… you are…" he muttered, trying to sit up, but Mai pressed him back into the corner with shaking hands.

"Shh, d-don't waste your energy. You're go-gonna be okay. We've gotta get you help. A bed, water, a rag, just tell me where—"

Naru shook his head and forced his lips into a sweet, pained smile. Tears welled up in Mai's eyes, but she held them back. She had to. If she didn't, his dying words would be making fun of how sensitive she was.

"No… no, Mai, this is the one story I… know the end to." He laughed harshly, and only ended sending himself into a coughing bout, smacking his already concussed head three more times against the concrete he sat up against. Each sickening _crack_ made Mai want to dry heave, cry, and repeat.

Dark blood trickled down the side of his face like raindrops from hell. It drop, drop, drop into his black shirt, never to be seen again. Mai could only watch as he raised his head and stared her directly in the eyes.

"Listen to me, Mai There are… still things you don't know. Save them. They _need_ you. To-to l…" Naru broke off again, the coughing becoming worse and worse. Darkening eyes looked at his palms before clenching them into fists. Mai knew what he had seen, and it was an omen.

"No, but, Naru, you can't go," Mai choked out, eyes burning, chest heaving. "You have to help me, please, please… I can't do this without you, I can't. You know I can't. Please, please, don't…"

"Mai, you can. Do not let me… stop you. I've done all that I can and I know you can get through it without me." He unclenched his fists and took her hands in his own. Mai didn't even care about the blood spattered on his hands. The both of them were shaking.

"I know you can."

His head fell against her chest, and blood instantly soaked through, still warm on her skin. Her heart jammed itself into her throat and she sat there, paralyzed, for a long time. Then reality hit her like a knife to the chest.

Mai wailed, and buried her face in Naru's hair, sobbing and sobbing until her throat would wail no more, until the tears had ceased flowing, until the air around her lightened, until Naru's body was no longer clutched in her arms…

And Mai was awake in her bed, crying into her pillow.

Mai blinked and sat up.

Dawn was only breaking.

It couldn't have been later than five.

But that couldn't have been a dream. Just couldn't.

Mai sky-rocketed out of bed, not realizing she was still in her dress from the night before, not realizing she was a complete wreck, not realizing Masako and Yasuhara had been standing right outside her door, listening.

"Naru!" she screamed down the halls, heading to his office as fast as her sleep-deprived legs could take her. If he hadn't heard her by now, he was dead. End of story. Maybe he was still here as a ghost though, so he could manage to annoy the living crap out of her for all eternity.

She would rather him alive.

She ran head-first into the door, stumbling back, but raised her fist to slam on the wooden door another five times. Lin opened the door before she could get another round out.

Mai shoved straight past an aghast Lin to find Naru, alive and not covered in his own blood sitting like he always had at his desk. With one look at her, he stood and strode over, just staring at the mess she had put herself in. Mai took a feeble step forward, trying to save face, but could hold it in no longer.

"A dream… it only a dream," Mai heard herself gasp, tears streaking down her reddened cheeks. "But _you_ died. On-on the balcony. It was awful, blood everywhere… oh… _Gods_…"

She buried her face in Naru's chest and sobbed, her whole body shaking. Naru stood stiff, holding Mai up by her shoulders. He finally had the sense to lead her through another door and sat her down. Mai looked up, wondering where he had taken her. She saw the bookcase revolve shut and Mai caught her breath long enough to gasp and widen her eyes.

Masako had been right. This was his room.

…Mai did _not_ want to know how Masako found out.

He plopped her down firmly on the bed and gazed into her eyes with utter confusion. He shook himself out of his trance and

"Stay here," he muttered. "I'll be right back."

And he was gone. Mai sat there on his bed, feeling her breath begin to steady and her quivering body begin to calm. So this was where Naru actually slept… That disproved the theory that he was a vampire. Mai gazed around and saw that in his room hung even more bizarre trinkets from around the world. No doubt at least a few of those were cursed too.

Mai's ears perked as Lin suddenly yelled from the main office room.

"You _know _what you have to do! You _know_ what she's seen! You've got to explain before she takes away all the trust she's given you!"

"_Fine!"_

Several books clattered to the ground as Naru thrust the bookcase-door open again, Lin shuffling in behind him. He took in a deep breath and returned to his natural, semi-stoic self, gliding over with a glass clutched in one hand. He sat down next to her on the bed and pushed her shoulders back, leaning her against the headboard. Mai took the glass of water he pressed into her hands and took a nice, long drink.

"Mai… there was one more death we didn't tell you about."

Lin cleared his throat loudly and Mai jumped, spilling half the glass all over herself, having almost forgotten that he was there. Naru closed his eyes briefly and repeated in a pinched voice, "That _I_ didn't tell you about."

* * *

_Learning you were wrong…_

* * *

**A/N: Although I can't guarantee an update next month (during NaNoWriMo) I will try my best to get the new chapter in less time than this one. This was an EXTREMELY difficult chapter to write, so I thank you for your patience and I'd also appreciate it if you would leave a review! ****Thank you, everyone!**


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: If this chapter makes no sense, please tell me in a review or PM. It's one of the most important ones, where I clear up almost everything. So if there's still a question that hadn't been answered, please tell me :)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ghost Hunt, we would have seen Madoka perform an exorcism by now. I mean, she **_**is **_**the person who taught Naru everything he knows…**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: If Fairy Tales Came True

Mai was not hearing this. Was absolutely not hearing this. Lies. Another piece of the puzzle clicking into place, but that puzzle was turning into a picture that she did not want. Unlike other puzzles, there was no way to destroy this picture. No way to erase the horror that was coming together too perfectly.

Mai sat on the bed, staring at the far wall. Naru's previous speech echoed in her mind.

"_My brother. My twin brother Gene also lived with us. Although he was my twin… we seemed to be in no way related. He was outgoing, kind, selfless… all the things no one would dare to attribute to me. But we got along just fine. We were brothers, after all. _

"_That night… when the curse took control… Gene was there when it happened. He knew what was going to happen and he tried to stop it. Tried to save everyone else, including myself. We fought, and he chased me to the balcony. He tried to get the knife away from me to break the curse. But he only succeeded in getting the knife away from his own body. I blindly shoved him into the balcony ledge, leaving him to die._

"_The knife… the ticket to remaining in the manor, for repentance… it doesn't have his blood on it. Because I did not kill my brother with a cursed knife… his ghost passed on. I have to live with that mistake forever. If that's not sick logic, I'm not sure what is._

"_I killed my family, Mai. Is this what you wanted to hear? My only real family tried to stop me, and died getting in the way. Do you really wonder why I didn't want to tell you this?"_

Now Naru and Lin were watching as she tried to process this information.

"No," was the only word her lips would form. Mai shook her head and pressed her fingertips to her temples. "No… no. There… there can't be more. I didn't see it. Why didn't I see it in the nightmares before? And there are only seven ghosts here!"

Naru sat down next to her, not breaking their eye contact. Mai heard her conscience repeat, _'You're in the presence of a murderer. Run!'_ But something about him was comforting. At least he was telling her. At least he was sorry. And at least he was here, trying to make sure Mai knew what he had dragged her into. His body next to hers was a comfort that she never remembered having.

"I told you. It was because everyone else was killed with the knife. I… remember how they were killed, too." He closed his eyes for a brief moment. Mai watched, hearing her heart pound between her ears. He wanted to tell her. He was making himself remember so he could.

She reached out a hand. Naru's eyes shot open as their hands touched and their gaze locked. Fright filled the air up to their necks and no one could drain it.

"You don't have to tell me." Mai's voice caught in her throat as she spoke. She wet her lips and tried to say something more, but she couldn't. Mai just shook her head and Naru understood.

"Thank you," he bit out, the words blunt only because he was trying to sound grateful. Naru took his hand away and uncoiled, but Mai suddenly felt very cold where his touch had once been. The look on his face was nearly unbearable, and now Mai could understand exactly why Naru was like this. He didn't want to hurt her. He didn't want to drag her into this mess.

"But the nightmares you mentioned… honestly, it makes no sense why you had them. It doesn't matter anyway."

Mai's jaw dropped. She pounded a fist on the bed and shot back, "Of course it matters! There had to be some reason why I had a dream of each death! I'm not going crazy and I'm not some sort of… _psychic_ either! There's a reason why I had those dreams and there's a reason you were in my dreams too!" Mai protested, but with that look on Naru's face, she realized she had revealed a little too much.

"_I _was in your dreams?" Naru repeated, reeling in the surprise in his voice. Mai swallowed and felt the room grow hot.

"Well, um… yeah. And you kept trying to tell me things. But then you died." The blunt words didn't seem to affect him.

Naru's brain moved much too quickly. And the transformation that ensued was nothing short of miraculous.

"That was not me in those dreams, Mai. It was Gene in those dreams, Mai, telling you everything. It was he, not I. That must mean… he's… here."

Mai never thought she would be able to hear hope in Naru's voice again, but now she was elated that she could be proven wrong. Mai never thought she would be able to see more light return to Naru's eyes. Watching him carefully, she took in this moment like it was her last. Naru pulled a hand through his hair, allowing her to catch in full view the sudden spark in his eyes, the dark cloud moving away, the sudden ecstasy that took over his aura. He looked at her again, eyes filled with the wonder of a child.

"But you must be… that would mean you really are…" Naru muttered, his forehead crinkling. She had never seen Naru confused before. It would have been amusing if the air around them hadn't been so serious. Mai cocked her head.

"I'm what?" Mai asked.

"You're a psychic. You can speak with and see the dead. Most everybody here is some sort of a psychic." Naru gave her no time to question this, no time to end her ever-growing confusion. No wonder everyone was so surprised when Mai had said that she could see their human forms. "You must be able to cross wavelengths with Gene. Your father complained of nightmares as well, but I never thought they had been signs from Gene. And now… now I know he's still here."

Mai's body tensed. That was the first time Naru had ever mentioned her father to her. She wanted to ask more, ask why he thought she was a psychic, what he meant by 'wavelength,' what her father had said about the nightmares…

Naru stood and bolted from the room. He slammed the bookcase open and books clattered to the ground around him. Mai and Lin shared a look - and raced after him. Mai gained the advantage and pulled ahead of Lin. Naru darted from sight and sprinted out into the hall. Mai and Lin reached the doorway and could only gape.

"Gene! _Gene_!" The broken voice echoed around them. Mai shivered as his voice tore his throat apart. She lurched forward, but Lin's hands landed on her shoulder, pulling her back. Mai watched from the doorway, watched as he drove himself crazy looking for the non-existent ghost of his murdered brother. Naru remained close by, but he ran back and forth in the hallway, ripping down curtains, bringing everything to the ground in sight.

"How dare you hide yourself from us! We've all been living here mourning your death and you don't even bother to show yourself? You're a coward and you've let us all down!"

He went on and on, but Mai could barely listen. His words were continually getting worse and worse. Mai found herself terrified, worried about what he could to – to her, to the house… to himself. Her heart pounded against her ribcage and her mind screamed that she had to do something. Something to help him. Something to make the pain go away.

Because Gene said he left.

Mai wrenched herself out of Lin's unexpectedly strong hold and ran to Naru, grasping his wrist. She couldn't stand to see him like this. He whirled to face her, eyes wild. Mai flinched and shook her head. His crazed expression began to clear and his senses returned to him. Mai felt him shaking under his fingers.

"He's not here, Naru. He's not here," she whispered. Mai slid her hand into his and buried her face in his chest, realizing that the sweet boy in her dreams… was nothing more than the dead brother of her boss. Those clear eyes should have given it away from the start. He wasn't here.

"He never was."

Mai closed her eyes and leaned more into Naru's comfort. She could see him, standing far, far away in the dark, with the clear eyes and the smile. She reached out to him, but all too suddenly he was gone. Forever. Her heart thudded faster, but the tears didn't come.

"It's not Naru," he muttered, regaining his senses. He jerked away from her, composing himself. Mai was caught off guard by the sudden rejection of the nickname he hadn't seemed to mind for more than a month. Mai caught herself. Only a month… It already seemed like years.

"I-I know that. But you never seemed to care that I didn't address you formally… Shibuya-san." The name felt too foreign on her tongue and her nose scrunched. Mai begged with her eyes, pleaded with him silently. Naru shook his head.

"It's not Shibuya, either. My real name is Oliver Davis."

Mai stepped back and looked at him. Tried to find words that matched what she was feeling. But nothing would come. Only betrayal. Disillusionment. Emptiness. "Why?" she heard herself rasp. Lin sighed behind them, defeated. Another bridge broken.

"I changed it so people wouldn't come after me if the murders were discovered. I erased my identity so my name wouldn't be tarnished." The haughty look on his face disgusted her. He didn't even seem to care that he was ruining everything.

Mai opened her mouth like a fish gasping for air. A sudden rage filled that emptiness. Now there were all kinds of words that she could scream at him. Each word felt better than the last, but nothing could satisfy that anger, that revulsion that infected the air.

"That's… that's all you care about! Your image! You don't care that you murdered your friends! You're ashamed of the fact that you could be looked down upon! How dare you feel that way! How dare you think that your name is more important that the lives of eight others!"

"I was _scared_, Mai!" he roared back. "I was _alone!_"

Mai took that step forward again. She had half a mind to slap him across the face to snap him out of this awful state. "You were only concerned about yourself! Your friends died at your hand! Did it even cross your mind while you were busy erasing yourself from the world that your friends really _were_ gone?!"

"I was trying to keep myself from getting arrested because I was their only chance at gaining their lives back again, Mai." Naru's voice had grown soft again – soft, but undefeated. He drew the words from her mouth and locked them away with a demeaning glare. Her heart thudded weakly and her cheeks grew hot. Naru's eyebrow rose.

"You may want to remember all of the details before you speak," he said coldly. The cool tone was worse than when he was yelling at her. Mai remembered what Ayako had told her the morning before.

"_We remain as ghosts until a total of fifteen hundred days are up. When either that day comes or the last drop of blood is cleaned from the dagger, our deaths are permanent. We leave this mansion forever. But to break the curse, to bring us back to life… well, that's Naru's job."_

But instead of fifteen hundred days, there were seventy-six left. Only a little more than two months to save seven lives. And Naru wouldn't even tell her how to do it.

"When did you figure out that it was the blood on the knife that kept their ghosts here?" Mai asked, not daring a look up. During this silence was the time to ask questions. The time to patch any missing puzzle pieces. It would be her revenge, making him talk about it and remember. It was the only revenge she had.

"Gene was the only one not killed with the cursed knife. His blood remains on the balcony, but nowhere near the knife. It wasn't that difficult to figure out," Naru retorted. His voice embittered the air, and Mai turned up her nose. If this was how he wanted to play it, fine. He so obviously wanted an opponent.

"How… how did the others die?" Her squeamish voice illustrated quite clearly that revenge was not her game. That didn't halt her curiosity, or her desire to finally triumph in a verbal battle.

"By the knife. Mai, I thought you were smarter than know after I told you about ten times. After you experienced it yourself," Naru bit out.

"That's _not_ what I meant," Mai pressed. "Like how I experienced Ayako's death… stabbed through the chest… or Bou-san, when you bludgeoned him to death, or when you slit—"

"I get it!" Naru yelled suddenly. His hands jerked through his hair, and he glanced sideways down the halls, wary of any eavesdroppers. Mai swallowed. She wouldn't put it past the rest of them if they were listening to this. "You said you didn't want to me tell you. You said you didn't want to make me remember," Naru said.

"Well, now I changed my mind." Mai clenched her fists at her sides, daring him to continue. Daring him to man up. Naru closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, preparing for the moment. He took in a deep breath and his eyes flared open again.

"John was the next one. He tried to block me, but the knife caught his arm. I threw him off and his neck snapped when he fell into the fireplace."

Mai felt her dinner from the night before make its way up her throat, but she managed to keep somewhat of a straight face. Naru and Lin watched her, but Naru kept going, probably just to spite her. But this was what Mai asked for, so she was going to listen whether it made her sick or not.

"Then Yasuhara. He died quickly… one slash across his back."

Mai dearly wished that she could stop the movie that played out in her mind, or at least pause it.

"Madoka was stabbed in the stomach."

Mai couldn't hold herself back. She gave a harsh cough and moaned softly, subconsciously placing her hands over her torso. "That's supposed to be one of the most painful ways to die…"

Naru couldn't keep the cringe from his face. "You don't think I've realized that?"

"So that would mean…" Mai ran through the names she had already heard. Mai's gaze flew to the man behind her, watching the two of them verbally spar. Lin had been waiting for this moment and he bowed his head.

"When I took on Lin, he nearly killed me himself."

"Nearly," Mai whispered. It was odd how that single word meant the world to them all.

"In a few words, it was a battle. Over bodies, stepping in blood, avoiding everything that could impale us from behind… but I believe the knife gave me an advantage." Lin snorted and rolled his eyes. He obviously believed something different. "It was only a few seconds later that the rage the knife inflicted upon me ended. I dropped the knife and realized what I had done. And then Lin fell."

The final two words of the story rang out. Now Mai had the full image in her mind. The disaster area that was the West Wing. The blood and gore and sorrow that drenched the air of the room that Naru had so desperately kept her away from. But Naru didn't give Mai time to regain her senses, to rip herself away from grieving their violent deaths.

"Are you happy now, Mai? Is this what you wanted to hear? Now that you know how everyone died, are you content with yourself?" Naru said. Mai shied away from the venom in his voice. She had never heard him so furious, so contemptible, so ready to kill anything else in his path. He advanced on her, eyes raging. Mai began to step back.

"Or do you still insist for more? Do you need more proof, besides the ghosts, the stories, the trauma that ensued? I can show you the West Wing. I can let you see their mangled bodies. God knows that I haven't been in there since that night, but those images remain fresh in my memory like it was yesterday. I still wake up thinking there is blood on my hands!"

Naru had managed to back her against the wall. Mai stood with her glance cast to the side, wincing at every yell thrown her way.

"So say what you want to say. I'll correct you, remind you, and tell you for the hundredth time that this is the reality you have to deal with. Death is real. Sorry is no option, nor is it a medicine. It is simply an easy way out. And I don't have the luxury of saying sorry and fixing everything that went on here."

The intensifying derision in his voice had peaked Mai's anger. It was all too quickly that she just couldn't handle it.

"Stop talking to me like that," Mai snapped, jerking her head up to stare at him, glare him directly in the eyes. For a second, he almost looked taken aback. Almost. But he would never admit to it.

"Talking to you like what?" he replied. Mai scoffed a scoff only Naru could have taught her. Mai stepped forward, shoving herself off the wall, making Naru give her some breathing room. She could have sworn she heard Lin give a short laugh behind them and felt a little uplifted.

"Like I'm stupid. Like I don't know any better. Like I don't care. Because guess what? I'm smarter than you think I am. And it seems to me that I care a hell of a lot more about the lives of the people you killed than you do! They're my friends too, _Mister Oliver Davis_, and I don't think you realize that!" With each poke to the chest, Mai made Naru take one step back, until they were in the middle of the hallway.

Mai didn't think that Naru expected her to stand up for herself like this. Now Naru really was taken aback and he couldn't do anything about that ridiculous expression on his face. Mai wished she had a picture, but decided that this was the perfect time for her dramatic exit.

"I'm going back to sleep. I want to see if _Gene_ will offer me some comfort."

From the flash in Naru's eyes, that was a low blow. But as of late, Mai didn't care. The insults were power and fed her anger. Without another word, Mai swiveled around and stomped through the halls back to her room.

"I expect you to be up and working in two hours, Mai!"

There were three more sounds.

An aggravated scream.

The slam of a door.

And a young girl's hysterical cries.

* * *

Mai held her word. She buried herself under the covers of her warm bed and tried to sleep, tried to dream of Gene and talk to him. He could explain things better – calmer was more like it – and she would finally be able to accept it.

The dreamless two hours passed much too quickly.

Mai awoke to someone shaking her gently.

"Mai?" Masako whispered, seeing the gleam in Mai's eyes. "It's time to get… up…" Masako broke off, looking at the young servant closely. "Is… is everything alright?" Mai turned to Masako and shook her head quietly, not wishing to answer. Masako pursed her lips, her eyebrows furrowing in worry. Mai shook her head again.

"He's gone."

Masako cocked her head. "Who's gone? Mai, are you sick? You don't look good, please, lie back down, and I'll—"

"Gene. Gene's gone," Mai gave her delayed answer. Masako inhaled, placing one hand over her eyes, a wince coming over her face.

"When did you find out, Mai?" she asked softly, her voice hollow. Her bangs hung over her hand, and she was already swaying.

"This morning. Around five." With only a blunt, quiet answer, Mai eased herself off the bed and across the plush carpet. Masako's hand dropped from her eyes and watched Mai go. "Naru still wants me to work," Mai explained, answering the question on Masako's lips.

"He shouldn't expect you to," Masako called over the running water. Mai sighed. "Why do you listen to him, Mai? Why not… play hooky for a day?" The suggestions coming from Masako's mouth were very much out of character, but they were from the heart. Masako found herself worrying about Mai, and promptly told herself to cut it out.

The hopeful emotions that had always been so present, so obvious on Mai's face had gone. Masako found herself missing the optimistic servant girl that Mai had been just the day before. Now she was no more than a robot who had finally faced all of the harsh realities about the no-longer Shibuya Manor. The Davis Manor didn't sound as regal. It sounded like a library.

"Believe me, I'd love to leave this place as much as you all would," Mai replied. She walked out of the bathroom to stare at Masako with dying brown eyes. Emotionally, Mai would kill herself before Naru's knife could even get to her. "But it doesn't matter what I think or what I want to do."

"No?" Masako said. Mai shook her head.

"I do this for my father."

The simple words took Masako by surprise. No words of comfort would come to her mind.

"Your father… was a very kind person, Mai. We all liked him very much." Masako moved forward, coming face to face with Mai, and rested a hand on Mai's arm. Mai bit her lip, trying to keep the tears away. She had cried one too many times, and was determined not to break again. Especially not where Naru could find her.

"Thank you, Masako. I miss him, too." Mai gave her a small smile, but then moved around her. Masako watched her go. Her lively way of speech and movement had been replaced with grace and tranquility. Masako wanted the old Mai back, no matter how annoying she may have been.

"What kind of psychic are you?" Mai asked suddenly, pulling a shirt and a skirt from the wardrobe. Masako looked caught off guard, wary of the unexpected change of subject.

"Excuse me?"

"Naru said that everyone here is some kind of psychic. He said that I was one too, because I could see Gene, and my father showed signs of being one. So what kind of psychic are you?" Mai repeated, her brown eyes shining a little bit brighter than before. The stories fueled her spirit. Hastily, Masako explained.

"I… I'm a medium. I can talk to spirits and channel them. Of course, it's not much use anymore. But I _was_ the famous one of the group."

Mai smiled, more light returning to her eyes. Leave it to Masako to be the one with fame. Masako could only watch and bring back the bubbly spirit that had died overnight the best she could. "What about everyone else?" Mai asked.

"Well, Takigawa-san has already told you he is a monk. And Ayako-san is priestess. They both could perform protective spells and sometimes they could perform successful exorcisms. John is an exorcist and a Catholic priest, whose exorcisms actually work. Yasuhara is simply a good researcher and has a mind that works nearly as fast as Naru's, even though Naru refuses to admit it. Lin uses shiki, spirits he's captured to use. Everyone is afraid of what Madoka can do, and I'm too young to even know. She taught Naru everything he knows, so… I'm sure it's something worthwhile."

Masako felt pleased with herself; Mai was enraptured with her story.

"And Naru?" Mai pressed, smoothing the clothes out on the bed. Masako paused, biting her lip.

"Naru is a… special case."

"How so?" Mai asked.

"Well… he's very smart. His… powers, I guess you could call them, are unstable. Without Gene, Naru can barely control them properly, just like he can't control himself. He's _too_ powerful. He could kill himself by using too much of his powers. So if he doesn't keep it in check…"

"He could die… and it could leave all of you without any chance at another life," Mai whispered. Masako nodded.

"But Naru hasn't had a problem with his powers yet. I think when he uses them, it reminds them of Gene. And that's the last thing he wants to remember."

Mai snorted. She had learned that the hard way.

"Why can't he just tell me how to help with the curse?"

Masako was silent, casting her gaze in the other direction. Mai sighed impatiently and continued, "Can't you tell me anything about it? Anything at all?"

Masako didn't look back. "I'm sorry, but there would be no way for the curse to be broken if you knew."

Mai screwed up her face in aggravation. Masako watched Mai cautiously, waiting to see if the light and life had returned to Mai. With that renewed bounce in her step Mai gathered her clothes from the bed, Masako had at least done _something_ to help. Masako gave Mai a quick hug and ushered her back toward the bathroom.

And then there was silence.

For a few seconds, at least.

"The poor thing…" Yasuhara muttered from the door. Masako turned to face him.

"How long have you been there, Yasuhara-kun, listening to my story?"

Yasuhara grinned. "Long enough to hear everything. And just because I'm older than you doesn't mean that I can't listen to stories, especially when they contain you saying that I am just as smart as our Naru."

Masako rid a blush by rolling her eyes. "I said your mind works almost as fast as Naru's. There's a difference."

"Right." Yasuhara's grin told her that he didn't believe any part of her last two sentences. Masako sighed.

"She seemed different this morning," Yasuhara continued, leaning down to Masako's height. She scowled; he knew how much she hated that.

"She was. She found out about Gene."

"Ah." Yasuhara understood immediately, sorrow passing over his expression. "And she didn't take it well, I presume?"

"Not well at all. She was practically a shadow of her former self. My story perked her up a bit, it seemed," Masako said, a triumphant smile passing over pale lips. Yasuhara laughed.

"Well, I _was_ in your story, so I don't see why she wouldn't be happier." Yasuhara was apparently in a very good mood this morning – a mood good enough so that he couldn't be beaten down by anything Masako said. She scoffed and swatted his

"Go away. You're being nearly as arrogant as Naru."

"Ouch. Masako-chan, no need to be that cruel." He placed a hand to his heart, feigning offense. Masako cocked an eyebrow to Yasuhara's laughter. He just smiled and bowed out as Mai came out of the bathroom, ready for her day, muttering to herself. She had no idea he was ever there.

"Stupid Naru. Stupid work. Stupid curse. Stupid getting up early."

Now that sounded a little more like Mai. Masako laughed under her breath and pushed herself up on Mai's bed. Mai sat down next to the dresser to put her shoes on. She looked up at Masako with a puppy dog pout, the gleam in her eyes almost nearly back to normal. But Masako knew what Mai was asking without even hearing it.

"Would you like me to stay with you as you work, Mai-san?"

Mai gave her a sheepish smile. "Please and thank you."

* * *

"Mai-san? Where are you going…?" John called out to them as the girl sped along the hallway. She ducked her head as they passed, and John suddenly knew she was doing something she wasn't supposed to. He followed his instincts and ran to catch up with her.

"Don't you have work to do?"

Mai nodded.

"And you've escaped because…?"

"I'm going to find out how to break the curse. There must be something in the library that can tell me."

John sighed. "Who are you hiding from? Naru never checks on you when you're working."

"Masako came along with me today because I really didn't want to have to face Naru alone and then I realized that all I really wanted to do was go find out how to break the curse. So I snuck off."

Mai stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening at a sudden threat. "But you probably think that I shouldn't know the key, do you?" She looked just about ready to run the other way, to hide until it was safe to begin her way back to the library. John gave her a sweet smile that melted her anxiety away.

"I actually don't think it would affect the situation if you knew. I'm the only one who thinks that, though."

Mai's eyes lit up. "Well, then, can't _you_ tell me what breaks the curse?"

"And have everyone else be angry with me?" John ran a hand through his hair and looked nervous for a moment. "I'm very sorry, Mai-san, but that's not a risk I'm willing to take. Anyways, I'm confident that the curse will be broken." He looked at her with a sparkle in his eyes and she had to smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mai asked, starting her walk toward the library once again. John followed her without hesitation.

"I just have confidence in Shibuya-san is all."

Mai sighed, knowing he was holding something back from her. John was too good at being innocent, so she couldn't accuse him of lies. They jogged together in silence, freezing behind corners just to make sure no one was there. And then the library was in sight.

Mai peeked down the corridors, ensuring her safety, and then skittered up to the library's door, John following closely behind her. She twisted it open with ease, and together they ran inside. Mai shut the door, but decided against locking it. Who knew if they needed to find a quick escape?

"Now," Mai said, turning around to stare at the fourteen bookcases stacked with a solid one hundred books per case, "where do we begin?"

John strode over to the nearest bookcase and pointed at the top shelf, the farthest book on the left. He gave her a smile and said simply, "How about alphabetically?"

Mai whimper-laughed, making a face, but had to comply. She pulled the book from the bookcase, sat down, and began to read.

This was going to be a long day.

The pile of books next to her just kept growing. John was reading over her shoulder, but didn't dare pick up a book of his own in case someone walked in. Mai had made sure he would remain completely blameless if they were found. But the pile started to grow over her head, higher and higher until she had to stand up to put the books on the stack.

Soon the first bookcase was empty, and every single one of those books had no information on any curses whatsoever. Mai stood, and saw that the stack of books had grown to her height. Mai sighed and turned around to face John, staring up at her from the ground.

"Second bookcase?" John suggested. There wasn't must else to go for, seeing as there were thirteen bookcases left. As John stood, Mai bit on her lower lip and wondered just how conniving Naru was. Just how desperate they all were to keep the curse's answer from her, even though she was the one who had to solve the whole thing in the end.

"What are the chances that Naru took out any of the books that revealed the curse?" Mai asked.

John paused, the idea only just striking him. "Um, fifty-fifty? Maybe?"

Mai weighed her options, and sighed. It was worth it to go through all of these books if it meant that she had a one in two chance of finding a way to reverse the spell. They would all thank her later – when they were all alive again.

It was only her luck that when she backed up, she backed up into the Mai-sized stack. Mai nearly fell, but John caught her arm before anything too embarrassing could happen. She threw her arm out to balance herself, smacking the books in the direction of the bookcase in the process. Of course, there was that little chance that…

Bang. Bang. Bang. _Bang._

John's grip suddenly tightened around her wrist. Mai snapped up and around to see what she had done.

"Oh my god." Mai slapped a hand over her mouth and just stared at her domino effect. Books had flown in all directions. John's eyes were just as wide as hers. She swiveled back to John, her expression terrified. "What are the chances that no one else heard that?"

The way he avoided her gaze told her that the chances were zero. Mai moaned.

"You've gotta leave, John. Someone's going to come in here and find out what that was, and I don't want you to get in trouble for helping me look for the curse's solution."

He looked hesitant for a second. Mai triple-tapped her toes on the ground and begged once again to leave her at the non-existent mercy of Naru.

"Please, John, I don't want to rope you into this. Please go."

He did, but looked back right before he faded into the wall. Mai put on her bravest grin and he was gone. Slowly, her gaze returned to that of the mess she had just created.

Now where could she hide…?

Maybe she had time to run. Of course, that wouldn't do anything at all, but maybe it would give her some time to collect herself and get her story straight. Maybe she could convince him that there was another ghost here. After all, this _was_ where he had told her the ghost story, back when she could have sworn on her own life that ghosts didn't exist.

That was before she knew that eight other lives had been taken by the young man who had told her the story.

Mai flitted to the door and peeked outside. No one there. Mai let out a breath and padded outside on tiptoes.

It was only her luck that seconds later Naru rounded the corner. Mai pressed a hand to her mouth to keep in a gasp and sprinted back inside the library, eyes darting frantically around for a good hiding spot. _The curtains…_

Mai raced against Naru without him even realizing it. She leapt behind the curtains just as he pushed the door open. She tried to keep her panting breaths silent as he recognized the damage that had been done. He growled under his breath, but then there was silence.

Mai inwardly wished to hear his footsteps fade out the door and down the hall, looking for her in the expanse of the mansion. She swallowed and waited. Waited. Wished. Waited. And jumped as Naru called her out.

"_Mai_. Get out of there; you're going to choke on dust."

She was just unlucky because he was smart. And he could see her feet beneath the curtain fringe.

Mai tossed the curtains to the side and inhaled a lungful of filth and dirt that had been there for who-knew how many years.

"Surprise," she said weakly, throwing up her arms after the coughing passed. Naru's eyes were going to get stuck if he kept rolling them at her.

"I thought you had somehow been buried under the bookcases. It's good to know that you weren't that stupid."

"That would have been such a good idea…!" Mai whispered under her breath, clenching her fists. It would have gotten any and all blame off of her, besides the fact that she had been in the library searching for the curse. But Naru wouldn't have to know that.

Naru narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Mai shot him a sickly sweet smile.

Naru gave her a cold glare. "Do I really have to tell you what to do here?"

Mai thought fast. Maybe playing stupid was the best way to go. "I can go to the kitchen and get you more—"

"Clean it up, Mai," he interrupted loudly. He considered her previous words. "And _then_ you can get me more tea. Until then, I'll wait here and make sure you do as you're told."

"Aye aye, Captain," she muttered sarcastically and saluted.

Naru settled himself on the couch as Mai began to pick up the books that had somehow thrown themselves all over the room. She scanned the room, picking up ghost book by ghost book, four-hundred page almanac by six-hundred page almanac. She stacked them all near the fallen bookcases and then moved to set the bookcases right. The first bookcase was already empty, and she pushed it back upright in a matter of seconds.

The second bookcase was nearly empty, save for a few books that had been blocked by the first bookcase. Something caught her eye. Mai kneeled down and saw that a book had been jammed between the shelf and the back of the bookcase. She managed to wiggle it out and placed it in her lap.

Mai fingered the dark green cover and the gold that had been painted onto the edges of the pages. She looked over at Naru, who had buried his nose in a book that had landed on the couch. Mai scrambled behind the fallen bookcases and sat down with the new book. Slowly, she open it and examined the table of contents.

These were all fairytales.

No wonder Naru had hidden it.

Mai flipped to the first story and read.

A girl imprisoned in a manor by a beast because of her father's mistakes. She too was forbidden from the West Wing because of a precious rose that was the Beast's reverse to his own curse. The Beast only had until all of the petals fell from the rose to reverse his curse.

Mai's heart had stopped in her throat. Her story was almost the same… but this time, no petals fell from a magical rose. Now blood dripped from a knife that had taken eight lives and short days ticked by. She continued to read, trying to find the end, the solution… maybe it would give her ideas. Maybe this story was closer to her own life than she thought possible.

"Mai, for once, will you start listening to me and do your work as you're told?"

Mai jumped, throwing the fairytale book under the collapsed cases. Naru eyed it and Mai's heart thudded even faster. He began to move toward her and stopped suddenly, staring at her over the bookcases. He gracefully leaned down and picked up the fairytale book – that had slid under the bookshelves instead of just lying there, covered, like Mai had meant to do.

Naru turned on his heel and walked away. Mai cringed and swore under her breath. He knew. _He knew._

"Are you angry at me, Naru?" Mai asked, trying not to let her voice sound any higher than normal. Naru tossed his gaze back over his should, scrutinizing her intentions.

"I seem to be constantly angry at you, Mai." Naru turned his back to her. Mai had no idea where the fairytale book had gone.

"Angry enough to kill me?"

Naru never responded.

The answer was too unclear.

In his right mind, Naru would never lay a hand on Mai. He never would have murdered his friends if it wasn't for the knife. None of this would be happening if it wasn't for his stupidity that night, or his need to feel powerful or his need to show off.

All of a sudden, all of Naru's words were lies.

Mai's heavy breathing was the only thing that pervaded the atmosphere. Her hands were clutched around her side. Before he knew it, she had fallen to her knees and groaned.

Naru dropped the knife.

Instantly, his anger diminished. In pure shock, Naru kneeled down next to her. Stared as she was fading. Gaped as he saw the once-strong girl for what he had made her become. Realized that her state was much more serious than he thought.

Mai gathered the last of her strength to raise her head and look at him.

"Tell them I'm sorry."

Those were her last words. Her body began to fall against him, but before he could catch her, before he could even begin to grieve for her, she disappeared into light. Naru passed his arm through the space where Mai had been crouched, dying. Dead.

Naru awoke with a start as Mai dropped a book. He gazed around at the library, at the floor, at Mai. This was not the West Wing. There was no knife in his hands. There was no blood on the floor. And Mai was not dead, much to his relief. But the relief passed and dread took its spot.

Was this what was in store for them?

Naru could end up murdering his last chance at freedom or he could let her walk free and into safety, destroying everyone else's chance at life.

"Naru? Are you okay?"

He heard her voice again and was almost happy. Almost hopeful. Almost alive. Almost. Naru looked up into her worried eyes, her innocent face. His heart began to pound.

For the second time in his life, Naru felt terrified for what was to come.

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**A/N: I got this chapter finished way faster this time. Yay! Only have a few left, so review while you can! Thank you for reading! Now please click the box underneath with the green writing. :)**


	16. Chapter 15

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A/N: …why hello there! You've happened upon the next chapter of **No Petals Fall****. I greatly apologize for being so late, but you can understand what school and summer homework does to a young sophomore-turned-junior. **

**Thanks to Ariana Taniyama for giving me a little extra nudge today :D This chapter is in dedication of the release of Beauty and the Beast on Blu-ray!**

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Chapter Fifteen: Vanity and Blame

Mai slept in vain, waiting for Gene.

She wanted to see him again. She wanted his comfort, the comfort that no one else seemed to be able to give. Sure, their sympathy was abundant and their words were honeyed. But there was something about Gene that was different. Different than anyone she ever knew, ever talked to, ever saw.

Maybe it was the fact that she had forced herself to believe that it was Naru saying those things to her. But it wasn't. Mai didn't want to wrap her mind around that.

But Gene was long gone before Mai had ever arrived. This couldn't have confused her more, couldn't have shredded her heart faster. Mai was only left wondering who the man in her dreams was and what her feelings really were.

Mai searched in vain, looking for that fairy tale book.

It had to be here somewhere. Somewhere in this godforsaken manor, there was a book Mai found for herself when Naru was being a jackass - like usual. And she was going to find it again just to spite him. There had to be something important in that book if Naru took these extreme measures to hide it from her.

Naru brooded and waited out the days, but his vanity was not uncommon.

The two of them were doing exactly what everyone else feared. They were pulling away from each other, pulling away from their responsibilities – from the freedom they could give to those who had suffered the consequences.

Life was not fair, and neither was death.

_Forty-five days left._ A month and a half. And that was it.

Mai woke one morning to a grey sky and a yelling Ayako. Mai sat up, rubbing her eyes, wondering if she was just imaging things. Ayako's voice just got louder. Mai sighed, swinging her legs over the bed. Great wake up call.

"What's going on?" Mai asked as Masako glided back into the room. Something passed over Masako's face, but it was gone before Mai could figure out what that something was.

"Oh, nothing. Just Ayako being… Ayako."

Mai would have believed that if Masako didn't seem so jumpy. Or if she had tried to look at Mai at all. Or if Naru hadn't just started shouting back at Ayako.

"Don't talk to me like I don't understand the gravity of the situation! I know damn well how serious this is! I hope you would take this just seriously because it means even more to _you_!" came Naru's retort.

Mai lifted an eyebrow. Masako's gaze darted around the room – up at the ceiling, down at the floor, over at the window – anywhere else but Mai. Mai sighed.

"Whatever. I'll find out later."

When Mai finished getting ready, she could still hearing them fighting. Masako sat on Mai's made bed, her hands clasped tightly on her lap, and a deep wince wrinkling her young face. Masako caught Mai before she swept out the door.

"Please, Mai. Just… don't go past the West Wing. That's where they… Please. Just don't."

Masako looked so desperate, so terrified, Mai had to oblige. She could resist.

Until Mai hunted down Ayako during her lunch.

The air was still electric from the morning's fight. Everyone pretended that it had never happened, but this only made it all the more evident to Mai. Mai hadn't seen Naru the rest of the day. It was Lin who had given her the chores and Lin who had taken the tea in and Lin who had told her it was her break.

Mai only wanted to know why.

"Ayako?" Mai asked as she swung open the kitchen door. The older woman spun around, a hand over her heart.

"Goodness, Mai, don't scare me like that."

"I… I just opened the door," Mai said, but Ayako wasn't paying attention. Mai sighed and began to make her lunch.

"So, um, weird wake-up call this morning."

"What do you mean?" Ayako's voice was too pinched, too rushed, too high. Were they really going to go down this road?

"I heard yelling. Masako wouldn't tell me what was going on." Mai turned away, feigning innocence. She bounced up on her tiptoes to grab a plate from the cupboard. She set in down on the counter and returned her attention to Ayako. The older woman cleared the thoughts from her face.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Ayako said, her smile tight. Mai nodded slowly.

"Right. But I was sure I heard Naru. I… just want to make sure everything's okay."

"Why are you asking me then, Mai? Why not ask Naru if you're so sure it was him yelling?"

Mai felt her stomach turn after those overly sugared words. "I haven't seen Naru all day. And, um, I thought I heard someone else screaming back at him."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"_You_." Mai was done playing it safe.

"Me? Why would it have been me?" Ayako laughed. Now her façade was almost seamless but Mai couldn't be bought with sweetness.

"Please don't lie to me. I've been lied to _enough_ already," Mai said, not managing to keep her voice from cracking. The faked smile disappeared from the older woman's face. Mi still didn't get what she asked for.

"I was working. I was nowhere near the West Wing this morning."

Mai licked her lips and began to turn away. She clenched her jaw and was silent until—

"I never said anything about the West Wing. It _was_ you!"

Ayako's eyes widened. She stepped back, thrusting her nose in the air. "You have no proof."

"I had my proof right there, it was you, you said the West Wing, and I never told you anything of the sort!"

Ayako's cheeks tinged opaque. She opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by the bang of the door. Lin stormed in. Mai thought the slamming open of the door was for dramatic effect – he could have easily gone through.

"An idiot – won't listen – refuses to – can't believe – all that we've gone through – won't even—!"

"Lin?" Ayako snapped. He didn't look up.

This time, Lin managed to put together full sentences, heated with rage. "What the hell is he thinking, pretending like this was nothing? Doesn't he realize the how serious this is getting? If he's sleepwalking and about to _kill_ someone again, it's not nothing. I'm not even sure he realized that if you had not found him and had not awakened him, Matsuzaki-san, he would have succeeded in killing Mai. He's locked himself away!"

"What's going on?" Mai didn't recognize her own voice. Lin jerked his head up, jaw tightening. Ayako sighed behind her.

"I tried to warn you. You have no one to blame but yourself," Ayako muttered.

Lin caught Mai's gaze. It was the softest she'd ever seen his expression.

"Why-why is this happening, Lin-san? Why does Naru want to kill me?" She grasped the edge of the counter for support. She could already feel her legs trying to give out on her.

Lin paused, and for half a second Mai was afraid she'd just get another lie. He must have seen fear flash across her face.

"Naru does not want to kill you, Mai."

"But-but you said that he was going to! And you said that if Ayako hadn't stopped him, he would have succeeded!" Mai squeaked. Lin studied her, and Mai could see the gears in his head meshing and turning and trying to figure out what to say to her distraught self.

"He was sleepwalking. He was muttering about how he needed the knife. When Ayako found him and woke him up, he was very confused. Naru just wants everything to be over."

Mai didn't have anything to say to that. It didn't make her feel any better. What if it kept happening? What if Ayako wasn't there next time? What if Mai didn't wake up tomorrow?

Lin noticed her unease.

"That is not the way he wants the curse to end, Mai. He wants no more murders here."

Ayako ran a hand through her hand and cleared her throat.

"At least he regrets it."

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Mai knocked on Naru's door minutes later, her stomach in a tight knot. Lin and Ayako had both agreed that Mai talk to Naru. She needed to hear his story for herself and figure out what that meant for the two of them – and how they were going to avoid if it ever happened again.

Mai was pretty sure he wouldn't even let her in.

"Naru? Naru, please open the door. I just want to talk. I'm not afraid of you. Please."

There was a pause before—

"You can come in. The door is unlocked."

She found him sitting at his desk with bags under his eyes and his hair a mess. She wasn't sure if she'd seen him worse.

"Naru?"

"I'm here, Mai." He sounded like he was in pain.

"I know. I can see you," she snapped back, but then winced. She reeled in her coarse voice. "Are you okay? I haven't seen you all day."

"I've been thinking."

It took all her energy not to retort something sarcastic. Mai moved through the dark room.

"About…?"

"Everything that's happened since you've come here." Naru stood. "And I've decided that you need to leave, Mai. For your own safety, you need to leave."

Her heart plummeted.

"What?" she heard herself yell, and quickly composed herself. "But if I leave, the curse… and everyone else will…!" She didn't want to say it.

"I know. Believe me, I know what will happen. But I think everyone, including myself, would rather not risk another life lost. Not after what happened this morning."

Her throat closed. "Naru… I don't want to go. I… I really do like it here. I'll risk it, fine. I don't care."

"You may want to risk it, but I don't!" Naru's voice rattled the windows. Mai clenched her jaw. "You're leaving this godforsaken place with your life. Be grateful, because most haven't."

Mai stomped her foot. "What's gotten into you? You've kept me here for over two months with the exact same risks hanging over my head, but you haven't given a second thought about that! So just because you sleepwalked one night with the _intention_ of taking the knife doesn't mean I'll be dead tomorrow!"

"Maybe it does!" he roared back. "And maybe I don't want to wake up over your dead body!"

The both of them fell back. Naru inhaled, gathering his wits, and turned his head away from her. "For your own damn good, you're leaving and that's final."

Mai refused look back up at him. She was no match for that stare. "You-you can't kick me out with nothing. I haven't even paid off the debt yet. I have nowhere else to go, and I have no money."

Naru walked back to his desk and braced himself. "I wasn't going to send you out empty-handed. Lin knows that I am sending you away and I've asked him to gather some of the more valuable artifacts I've collected over the years so you can sell them. And I have something else for you – but you can't sell this."

From his coat pocket he pulled the mirror from so long ago. Mai balked.

"Why are you giving me a mirror that only shows you?"

Naru's glare heated the icy atmosphere. "If you had been patient enough when I first showed this to you, you would already know what it does."

"It's a mirror. I think I know what mirrors do."

"Not this one." Naru strode up to her with a renewed arrogance and placed the mirror in her hands just like that first day here.

"It's still only showing you, Naru."

"Oh, that's the preset. Ask it to show you something."

"I'm not going to talk to a mirror, Naru."

"In the two month you've been here, you've spoken to a wardrobe, a teacup, a clock, a feather duster, a bookcase, a teapot, and a candelabra. You'll feel perfectly sane asking an enchanted mirror for an image."

Mai gaped at it. She snapped her mouth shut and whispered the first person she thought of.

"Show me my father."

The mirror went blank.

"Anything still around, Mai." Naru's tone told her he had tried the same thing many times before.

"Right. Um… show me my old house."

The mirror darkened and then what looked like a graying pile of wood planks appeared in the mirror. Mai couldn't hold back a gasp.

"You lived in that?" Naru stared over her shoulder.

Mai pursed her lips, ashamed. Compared to this manor Naru had been 'trapped' in, her old house looked like dust. "When I left, those planks made a house. Or a room. Shelter, at the least."

Naru didn't even bother making fun of her. She felt even more out of place.

"You'll need a new place to stay. There's a town a ways north of here that has rooms for rent and a marketplace to sell the things I'll give you. They'll make quite a sum, and they'll give you enough to pay for food and housing until you can find a job."

Mai nodded, and silence drew over them. Mai clutched the mirror, wondering when she'd lose it and just keep watching this manor. Naru stood next to her. Neither wanted to move on.

Without even thinking, Mai threw her arms around his middle. She was going to miss him, even though he was an arrogant bastard. And though she was free now, she couldn't help but feel pinned down by an overwhelming sense of guilt. Naru gave her a pat on the back.

"Go get your things from Lin."

Mai eased herself off him.

"Thank you for the mirror," was the only thing she could say before running out the door.

Naru collapsed back in his chair.

* * *

Mai ran outside only to see everyone already there and already in shock.

Ayako was the first one to gain back the ability to speak. "You put up quite a fight in there, didn't you?" Mai didn't want to hear the bitterness embedded in her voice.

"I couldn't do anything! You heard how angry he was, and you know how he gets when he's made up his mind!" Mai's voice edged into pleading. She barely noticed the cool mirror against her sweaty palms.

"And I also know you can hold your own against him, Mai!" Ayako yelled back. "Where'd that girl go? The girl that cared and wanted to help? The girl that we all thought would set everything right?"

"She's right here! She's standing right in front of you!" Her voice cracked and she held the mirror to her chest, protecting herself. No one else had the guts. "But you didn't see him, Ayako! I couldn't say no!"

"Why not? You've done so many times before. What's different about now? Has Naru finally broken you? Have you given up on us, too?"

"Stop it, Ayako! You don't _understand_!"

When Mai got nothing but silence in return, she knew it had gone too far. Mai couldn't have saved herself to begin with.

"I understand perfectly well, Mai-chan." The name mocked her, babied her. "You're the one who doesn't understand."

With that, Ayako stalked off down the hall. Mai breathed in, deep and slowly, and tried to wash the tears away before they came.

"I'll go talk to her, I guess," Takigawa volunteered, breathy laughter snapping the tension in two. "She'll regret it if she doesn't say goodbye to you, Mai."

"No, I'll go get her," John said, already breaking away. John noticed the look on Mai's face and smiled. "Don't worry, Mai, I'll be back before you leave. I promise."

Mai swallowed, unsure of how much better John could handle Ayako than Takigawa, but nodded. He disappeared after the miko. Mai was left with five anxious ghosts circled around her.

"So… that's it then, is it?" Takigawa ran a hand through his hair. Mai looked up at his pained face and had a feeling she shared his expression. "Naru wants to save you before the clock hits midnight?"

"Something like that." She couldn't stand the disappointment in the air. Mai turned to Lin, knowing his expression would remain the same no matter what circumstance they were in. "Naru said you had things for me, to sell once I left here."

"I only started, but yes. Follow me and I'll show you."

They ended up in a room Mai had only been in once before. How she'd never seen most of the artifacts before was beyond her.

"Now I haven't been putting cursed objects for you to sell in here, simply things that are rumored to bring good luck and are worth something. Gold, silver, jewels, anything you can carry. If you see anything you like, ask."

Mai took this as an invitation to gawk at everything around the room. Her fingers slipped along rows and stands with trinkets and ornaments and baubles that surely caused destruction in some other life.

Yasuhara stood at her shoulder before she could blink. "That vase right there has been possessed by the ghost of Maximilien Robespierre, the man who instigated and led the Reign of Terror in France. The previous owners, up until Naru bought it, were all beheaded."

Mai pulled her hand away and continued looking. Yasuhara just laughed and followed in step behind her. A blank wooden picture frame caught her gaze.

"Wouldn't touch that one either," Takigawa spoke up, appearing in front of her. "If you touch that portrait with your bare hands, you get sucked inside and you become the picture."

Mai slipped ahead of the both of them, thoroughly nervous. Maybe it was good she'd only seen this room once. She didn't have to look back to know they kept at her heels.

"And that door knocker that has your attention now," Masako said, staring at Mai from across the room, "has haunted many a house before it arrived here. That specific door knocker is what began the 'haunted house with a door that opens on its own' rumor."

And there were so many more things in this room that were more haunted and more demonic than anything she'd seen or heard of before.

"Wow, I missed this thing," Yasuhara laughed and picked up a glossy, wooden staff. "I wondered where Naru had hidden it."

"Yasuhara. You know what happened the last time you fooled around with that," Lin snapped, looking up from packing Mai's bag. Next to him, Madoka grinned. Yasuhara made a face. He sighed and gently placed the staff back in its spot.

"It returned to normal eventually," he mumbled. Gauging by the apparent expressions on everyone's faces, Mai was sure that she didn't _want _to know what exactly had needed to return to normal.

"How do you guys know all this stuff?" she said. They tossed knowing glances around the room before someone responded.

"We live for the occult, Mai." Madoka gave her that classic grin. Mai couldn't smile back.

"You died for the occult." The weary gleam in Mai's eyes told them all that she wasn't in the mood for jokes.

The door slammed open with unneeded force. Ayako came stalking back though, her nose upturned and the gleam in her eyes ferocious. John walked in behind her, but that triumphant smile on his face was not shielded from the group.

"So, what are we doing in here?" John asked in the middle of the awkward moment.

"We are gathering the things Mai is to sell to provide herself with what she needs. I think we're nearly finished, though," Lin said, motioning to the leather bag in the chair in front of him. John's eyebrows rose, but Mai's heart sunk. She didn't want him to be finished. She wanted to stay here, forever.

"Oh. Can I see what she has so far? I can see if there's something to add."

Maybe John was more of a mind reader than a priest.

Mai hovered in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do with herself. She had no time. She felt so trapped, but so free. She was just… confused.

"I think that'll do it."

The words she didn't want to hear. But they were all gathered at the door before Mai could say a thing. Even Ayako had followed along begrudgingly, but Takigawa had kept a firm hand on her waist until now. Ayako hadn't sent Mai one positive glance, and Mai never expected to see one from her again.

Naru wasn't there, waiting to say goodbye.

Well, good riddance to him.

She hugged each person, saying her most solemn, heartfelt goodbyes. She couldn't help but feel guilty. She knew they couldn't help but feel the least bit bitter. It was sad they had to end things like this… but they could have ended worse. How she hated goodbyes.

Mai held her bag full of valuables at her chest, trying to protect herself from her own heartache. With each heavy step, she knew some things could never change.

No goodbye to Ayako. No goodbye to Naru. And Mai just had to live with that.

The icy breeze reached the tip of her nose.

"Mai!" someone cried out. Mai turned around just in time to see Ayako fling her arms around her.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I need – I need to give you something before you go for good." Ayako struggled to keep calm, and held out a little black pouch. It jingled when Mai took it from her.

"Just… to find a room. To keep yourself comfortable until you can resettle." With a hopeful smile, Ayako composed herself and stood straight. Mai pressed the leather between her fingers, forcing herself not to cry.

"Thank you, Ayako," Mai said, nodding, and collapsed into another hug.

"I think you have one more goodbye to go, Mai-chan," Ayako whispered into her ear. Mai let Ayako turn her around.

Naru stood at the top of the stairs. Mai only stared as he bounced down step after step and strode to meet her at the door. Mai barely noticed the other staying to watch.

"You decided I was worth saying goodbye to?" Mai asked, her voice coming out harsher than she'd hoped. But he deserved it, after all he'd put her through. She didn't want this to be their goodbye, and she already regretted where this was going.

"No," Naru snapped. Mai flinched and Naru backtracked. "What I mean to say is… I just wanted you to know…"

"Yes?" Mai prompted, standing on her tip-toes. Naru only just matched her gaze.

"Your father was a good man. That shows upon you, too." His hand cupped her cheek but fell away almost immediately. He cleared his throat. "I hope your trip is safe."

Mai nodded, her cheek hot where his hand had been. She turned away from him, toward the door. She couldn't end it not knowing.

Mai swiveled back around, her heart slamming against her ribs. "Naru?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

There was a pause before, "Of course."

Her voice stuck in her throat at the worst moment possible. The words she managed out were, "Why were you so mad that night? That night when…?" Her gaze trailed over to her friends who now had no chance of gaining their lives back.

Naru's jaw tightened and Mai was positive that he wasn't going to answer her. She hastily tucked her hair behind her ear and shook her head.

"Never mind. I'm sorry. Forget I asked. I'll just—"

"Your father lost my money," he spoke out over her, silencing her. "He was paying for your housing and food, instead of investing it."

Mai's eyes widened and the wind swooped out of her. "Oh my Gods… so… it was all my fault. Everything."

She couldn't look at anyone. Everyone dead, all the lives ruined… because of her.

Naru just kept going. "A week later, I summoned him to work here to pay off that lost money. No, Mai. This was not your fault. You do not deserve his punishment or mine."

_She did not deserve punishment. She did not deserve punishment. She was not to blame._

These thought haunted her the whole way home. She found herself in a quaint little town, in a cozy little inn with real, live people to talk to. But Mai kept thinking of the family she had made and what had all happened just in the past few months.

Taking Naru's word, maybe she wasn't at fault.

It was her father who'd made the decision to leave.

It was her father who'd made the decision to spend the money on her.

It was her father's job she'd taken on.

It was Naru who made the decision to get mad.

It was Naru who'd made the decision to pick up the knife.

It was Naru who'd killed her friends.

But if she truly wasn't at fault, then why did she feel like it was her job to fix everything?

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**A/N: Getting closer… please review! **


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: Really, just go straight to the chapter. You've been waiting long enough, haven't you? :) **

**I don't own anything.**

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Chapter Sixteen: Strong Enough

Mai awoke the next morning already expecting clothes on her bed and someone yelling at her to get up and make tea. She thought she heard the shelves move once or twice and she was sure she was just imagining the candlesticks bobbing as if teasing her.

Because she knew there were no clothes, no voices, and most importantly, no one there.

Mai got up and after dressing, gathered the things that were given to her the day previous – _only_ a day previous. She managed to find her way to market, full of people chattering and laughing, going about their lives without a care in the world. Mai was able to buy a feast for herself with a single gold coin.

She found herself sitting behind a slab of wood with all her goods laid out for purchase in front of her.

It was strange seeing people alive. No more ghosts. No more enchantments. No room full of bodies.

"Beautiful things you have here," a voice caught her attention. Man looked up to see a man in his mid-twenties, blonde hair swept across his forehead. Mai blinked.

It was John.

Mai stood up, staring. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.

"Th-thank you!" she said, bowing. "How are you—?"

And when Mai looked again, she saw the subtle differences. This man had deep brown eyes and a thinner face than John. And this man was _alive._ But the kind smile and the sweet voice were close to identical.

"I'm fine, although this weather could be better," he said, gazing over her things. He then looked up and asked, "How are you today?"

Mai gathered herself again, erasing her mind of her previous home. "I could be better. Do you see anything you like?"

In response, his fingers fell on a little teacup. Mai looked at it too. That looked just a little too familiar. And she didn't remember anyone showing that to her today. And then she realized – that was the teacup John had possessed. Mai snuck another peek at the John look-alike. How odd.

"You're staring."

Mai shook herself. The man was smiling at her, amused by it all.

"I'm sorry, but you remind me of…"

"I always 'remind people of.' Who is he?"

"…his name was John."

"He… pass on?"

"Sort of." Mai laughed, causing the young man to give her a look.

The cloudy day melded back into the mansion. She was back in the kitchen with her friends. Together they were laughing, smiling, without a care in the world. There was no time limit on their lives. They were happy. Free and happy.

"Miss? Are you okay?"

Mai blinked the tears away, shaking herself from the daydream. She couldn't pull herself fall enough of out of before hearing Naru's voice call out to her.

All those times they just talked about anything, nothing, something. She missed it. She missed him.

And she wasn't just about to let him wallow and die in his own curse.

"Oh my Gods."

"Miss? Is everything alright?" the John-lookalike repeated, the gleam in his eyes darkening to concerned. Mai started to dump her things back into her bag hastily. She took the teacup last, smiling at it, feeling the lump return to her throat. The mirror bumped up against her chest, tucked into her jacket inside pocket.

"Yes… yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, but I just remembered there's somewhere I have to be."

The young man nodded, understanding. He hid a smile. "Of course, miss. Glad I could help."

When Mai looked up again, he had disappeared.

Mai rushed from the market as fast as she could, her bag of occult artifacts banging at her side. She couldn't run the full trek there, but there had to be some way that she could get back faster than walking. Her eyes drew over the carriages and horses and thought that just maybe someone wouldn't mind if she borrowed their horse for a while… as long as she returned it.

She approached a chestnut mare and petted its silky nose. It nuzzled up to Mai, and Mai figured that this was the perfect horse to… borrow. As long as she had food and water, she really wasn't doing any harm.

Mai had never ridden a horse before. She held the saddle steady and leapt up, steadying herself on the antsy horse. She gathered the reins in her hands, her heart beating wildly.

With one strong pulse of the reins, she was off, hurtling onto the path. The wind was cold, but nowhere near as cold as it had been when she walked here the first time. Again she saw familiar sceneries and hills, drawing up anger and hurt from the past.

But right now, that didn't matter.

To her left, she saw a hill covered in dark, tangled weeds. Something made her slow down the horse and stare.

By some miracle, through this harsh weather, that little pink flower was still there. Still _alive_ in the mess of destruction around it. Heart rushed through her body and she kicked the horse back into motion.

Mai couldn't hide that smile on her face.

Mai charged through the thick forest, remembering how she had heard a voice telling her a story. Now that she thought about it, one who had been speaking sounded an awful lot like Yasuhara forcing his voice. From day one, they were waiting on her.

From day one.

And she had given up on them.

Mai flicked the reins again, speeding up. They rushed through the open gates and came to a rough halt in front of the manor. Mai tied the horse up and dashed inside, yanking the mirror out of her jacket. The place was silent, hopeless. Mai felt the guilt plunge deeper into her chest.

"Show me Naru!"

Mai wished she'd never left.

There he was, writing a letter. Mai could barely make out what it said, but as if the mirror knew her thoughts, it zoomed in. It was less of a letter and more of a surrender.

_You will probably never return and never read this. On the chance that you do, I wanted to say I'm sorry. For everything. I'm gone now, and you'll never have to bother with the thought of me again._

The world swayed. Gone? What was he talking about? He wasn't planning on…

Oh, God.

The knife. She needed to find the knife. Through Naru's twisted view of the world, there would only be one way to go out in justice – by taking his own life the same way he had done his friends'.

Mai took off at a run, heading for the West Wing. No one would be over there, anywhere near their bodies. They had all given up hope, just like Naru. Mai swallowed the lump in her throat and ran faster. If she could just get the knife away from him, hide it somewhere he'd never find it…

Mai reached the West Wing without seeing anyone. It was some sort of a sick miracle, really. Unless Naru had already cleaned the knife… Mai shook the thought away. No. It wasn't possible. Naru wasn't that horrible.

He wasn't that horrible at all.

Mai bumped the door open with her hip and saw that the room was still dark. Now she could smell the blood and the tears and the despair. The knife was here somewhere, and Naru hadn't gotten to it yet. She remembered a glint from the last time she had been in here. She moved through the room blindly, trusting her mind's eye.

Her foot hit something solid and her hands found a table. She grasped at a rough handle and backed out of the room as fast as possible. Her heart raced and she leaned against the door.

The knife really was beautiful, and it didn't take much for her to understand why Naru had bought it. The hilt was gold, encrusted with the highest quality diamonds she had ever seen. Well, the only diamonds she had ever seen, aside from the translucent ones that Ayako had been wearing on the night of their party. Both parties, really. The night they had celebrated returning to their ghostly forms and the night they had all been murdered.

How could Naru have given up so easily?

Then again, how had Mai given up on them so easily?

She heard her heart beat once, twice, three times in her ears. The hallway was suddenly very warm, hot, sweltering. The world swirled and swelled underneath her. She felt powerful and powerless at the same time.

It was only then Mai noticed the blood on the blade before everything went red.

Save. Kill. Save. Save. Kill. Stop. Stop. _Stop._

_No._

Rage pulled her along the hallways. She knew where she was going. She knew where he was.

Stop. Stop. Kill.

The diamonds were rough under her fingers, digging into her palm.

Beauty caused pain.

Through her tinted vision, she saw his office door in front of her. She yanked the door open and heard it bang as she walked inside. Naru wasn't at his desk, but outside on his own personal balcony. He hadn't heard the door bang open.

An invisible wall dragged her forward, pushing her from behind. She adjusted her grip on the knife. The cool breeze of the approaching night greeted her.

She was trying.

_"Na-naru, have you seen the quilt that was on my bed earlier? It-it's no bigger than half a meter by half a meter, and it was a patchwork with dark blue and maroon squares. Yasuhara-san said I should ask you!"_

_"No. No, I haven't. Why?"_

_"My mother made it. It's the last thing I have from my family; I need to find it!"_

_"I'll help."_

Kill. Kill. Stop. No. The letter remained on his desk. The surrender.

He was weak._ Weak_. Mai couldn't take it. She couldn't contain the rage in her chest, in the air around her. He didn't deserve anything. Anything at all. He didn't deserve her, he didn't deserve his friends… he barely deserved his life.

Mai stepped forward. He hadn't noticed her yet. He hadn't noticed anything wrong in that goddamned perfect little world of his.

No. He _didn't_ deserve his life.

_"Did you see it was snowing?" _

_"Yes, I realized that when I woke up this morning. Have you never seen snow before?" _

_"I've __seen __snow before plenty of times – I had to walk all the way here, looking at snow the whole way. But it's always been so grey and… icky. I've never seen snow so pretty before! I'm going outside right now, come with me, please!" _

_"…why not? I can even show you around grounds and give you an official tour if you want."_

She had to fight this. Had to. This was the curse taking a hold of her emotions, just like it had done to Naru those four years ago. So whatever the consequences, she had to stop this curse from taking total control. It wanted Naru's life. Maybe next it would want hers.

Why the hell hadn't she gone to Naru first before making sure he couldn't take the knife for himself? Maybe she had just wanted to prove that she could save him. That she was stronger than he was and could resist the knife's calling.

Naru's ego had rubbed off on her.

Mai was suddenly at the door.

_She was dragged out of the water and fell against her rescuer coughing. The man holding her checked her pulse, wrapped a blanket around her freezing body, and balanced her in his arms. He stood and turned on his heel with the young girl clutched to his chest._

_Naru himself carried her back up to the mansion._

The cold wind was strong. Naru held himself up against the ledge, and Mai was half-afraid he'd throw himself off.

"Naru?" she heard herself say. He whipped around and stared with wide eyes.

"Mai… you… you…"

The possession forced a smile onto her face. "I came back."

The words weren't of her own choosing. Neither were her actions. Something made her run forward and throw her arms around Naru. She felt him bring her into a hug of his own. She felt him relax in her arms, and she knew she should have been terrified.

"I came back for you."

The knife poised itself behind Naru's back.

_"What I mean to say is… I just wanted you to know…"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Your father was a good man. That shows upon you, too." His hand cupped her cheek but fell away almost immediately. He cleared his throat. "I hope your trip is safe."_

"I didn't think… I didn't think you'd come back," he said, trying to compose himself, clearing his throat. Mai buried herself closer into his chest. Her sane self was screaming, screaming, screaming. She had to get out of here. She had to free herself.

But she wasn't strong enough.

"I saw the note."

"That note means nothing now. With you here, it means nothing. I just can't believe…"

She was forced to laugh and watch the knife glint in the moonlight. It was beautiful, it reminded her. The knife was beautiful.

"You don't have to believe it, Naru. Our fairy tale isn't coming true anyway. That's why you took that book, right? That's why you hid the book from me. Because you knew neither of us were strong enough."

She felt him tense. He could tell. He could tell this wasn't her. Maybe she could get him to run. Or get him to notice that she was about to murder him. If only she were strong enough, things would all be right.

"Mai?"

The change in his tone sent shockwaves through her.

He was afraid of her.

_"Naru? Thank you."_

_"I'm the one who should be thanking you, Mai."_

Everything happened so fast. Everything fell. The world fell around her ears. Everything was hot and cold, left and right, up and down, all at once. There was screaming, there was silence. Heavy and light. Bright and dark.

The knife plunged.

And it was then Mai heard her voice tear everything to pieces.

"No! I _love_ him!"

Her red glasses shattered. Mai let go of the knife, suddenly burning in her hands. Mai threw herself away from Naru, tears streaking down her face. Maybe, just maybe she'd made it in time. Maybe she had been strong enough in time.

But the knife had met its target. Mai saw that as Naru grasped his arm, swearing. He swayed and fell to his knees. She went down with him, speechless and helpless.

"Oh God… ohgodohgodohgod. Na-naru, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He didn't say anything. He fell back against the wall, eyes shut. Pain decorated his pale face. He wasn't going to waste any of his energy on the girl who just tried to murder him. Sweat and blood made her fingers slick. This was much too close to Gene's death to be comfortable.

She couldn't let him leave her like this.

"No, Naru, please, please don't die. That was the knife talking, all the way up until the very end. I came back because I care about you. I came back

"I _wasn't_ possessed at the very end. I love you, Naru."

Naru was very still.

Mai let herself crumple and sobbed.

She just wasn't strong enough.

"Mai?"

A hand fell on her shoulder. Mai jumped and swiveled around, gasping for air.

What she saw wasn't possible.

Ayako stood there, beautiful even in the face of death. Long red hair hung over her shoulders in waves and her brown eyes were filled to the brim with shock and concern. Mai threw herself into Ayako's arms before she realized what had happened.

"Mai, sweetie…" Ayako said, her breath against Mai's ear. Mai shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I thought I was stronger. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry I left. And now I'm sorry I came back." Mai cried harder into Ayako's warmth. Ayako tightened her arms around Mai. Mai heard more footsteps, more voices. She didn't want to face everyone else after this. She didn't want to turn around and see what she had done to Naru.

Terror ravaged her. This was the fear that had gripped Naru after the death of his friends. No, he had it worse. He had this fear in sevenfold. She hadn't understood what he felt after the possession had broken on him. She had yelled at him for it, berated him for it. And Mai wasn't alone. Naru had been alone.

Guilt piled on.

The tears wouldn't stop.

"Mai, there is nothing you have to apologize for," Ayako said, her voice soothing. Mai didn't understand.

"What are you talking about? I gave up on you all, I left when I knew I belonged here, and now… now Naru's dead! I murdered him!" Tears splattered everywhere – on her shirt, on her arms, on Ayako's priceless dress… but none of that mattered.

"Mai… don't you realize?" Ayako gently pulled away, letting Mai look at her again. Mai didn't understand why she was smiling at first.

"We're alive, Mai."

Mai blinked, straightened up. Ayako's touch was warm, her skin a pale pink, her cheeks flushed… the young woman was no longer translucent, monochrome… no longer a ghost. Mai's knees buckled as she saw everyone else in the office, alive and well.

Bloody, but alive and well.

Ayako supported her. Mai turned to stare at Naru, still crouched against the stone barrier.

"But… but then, Naru…?"

"If Naru was dead, we would be too, Mai," Lin said, kneeling next to him. "The curse begins and ends with him. The wound you gave him isn't something to be overlooked, but our Naru is far from dead."

Relief washed over her like a twenty-foot wave. Then it was time for hugs, more crying, and laughing. God, she'd never heard so much laughing in this house, much less this room itself. Everyone was bright and awake, like they had spent the last four years simply asleep. Their touch was so comforting.

It didn't take long for Naru to wake up.

Lin broke the news simply by standing outside of Naru's bedroom.

He called out, "Mai. There's someone who'd like to speak with you."

Mai broke away from Takigawa's embrace to dash into the attached room. The door shut behind her silently, but Mai heard the sudden outburst of whispers from the other room. She ignored them. She had much more important things to attend to.

There he sat on his bed, one sleeve torn off and his arm bandaged. His hair was mussed, but his eyes were clear. They were clear for the first time – a shining navy blue that caught her off-guard. He looked sort of like a rogue hero, returned home from a long, perilous journey. In a way, that was exactly who he was. And in a way, that wasn't him at all. He had been the damsel in distress, too.

Mai stood there, waiting.

There wasn't much to say.

After nearly murdering him and then confessing her love, she had pretty much covered all the bases.

"Come here, Mai."

She walked over, managing to keep her head. She sat down on the bed next to him, but could only stare at the bloody bandage.

"If you ask anyone out there, they'll say I deserved it." Naru read her mind, like usual.

Mai cringed.

"It's an incredibly small price to pay for what I've done."

Still, there were no words for her. None at all.

"You are not to blame yourself for _anything_ that went on here tonight. Do you hear me? You are not to blame. You saved each and every one of us."

"How do you do that?" Mai burst suddenly. Naru looked confused, his mouth hanging open, like he had been ready to say more. He still had words left.

"Do what?"

"Read my mind like that! You've done it millions of times and I just don't get it!"

"You wear your heart on your sleeve, Mai. I can read all your emotions because it's all on your face."

Mai sat there, thinking.

"Really? _All_ my emotions?"

They both knew what she meant. Mai felt herself blush, feeling proud that she had managed to bring it up again so quickly. Naru just didn't know what to do with her.

She only had one more question for him. Mai was almost sure she could read his mind to answer this question, but it was far more fun to ask and see what answer she received.

"Naru… how did I break the curse, exactly? I mean, I did it, obviously, but… how?"

He stared at her. The whole scene went flashing by their eyes again. Naru leaned in close, so close that she felt his lips against her ear, thrilling and intoxicating.

"Someone had to fall in love with me."

…that was all? That was the whole secret that everyone had been trying to keep from her. She almost leaned back to protest the unnecessary secrecy. But Mai was glad that she had waited a few seconds longer to pull away.

"And I had to fall in love with them in return."

* * *

**A/N: Please review, and tell me your thoughts! I love feedback! **

**And please keep your eyes out for the epilogue!**


	18. Epilogue

**A/N: I figured since by last two updates were so slow in the making, I'd give you the epilogue in a much shorter amount of time. This is the very last chapter of this story, so I want to thank all of you who continued to read and review! It's been an amazing ride :)**

* * *

_There's been a change in me  
A kind of moving on  
Though what I used to be  
I still depend on  
For now I realize  
That good can come from bad_

* * *

Epilogue: A Kind Of Moving On

It was a beautiful aftermath.

They didn't sleep that night. None of them. There were too many words to say, too many stories to tell. But it was beautiful. Life was beautiful. Mai saw that now, now that she had just given a second chance to her friends… her _family_.

Everything in the manor seemed a little bit brighter, cleaner, livelier. They all watched the sunrise together, a dawning of a new day.

Mai spent the rest of that day rushing around, helping everyone find new, clean clothes that weren't torn and bloodied.

A lot changed, but in the same way, not much changed. Everyone was happier, and they didn't have any secrets anymore. Mai loved how strong Takigawa's hugs were, and how warm and comforting John was, and how Madoka played with and braided Mai's hair every time she came close. Ayako and Masako's smiles were no longer bitter and brittle, but bright and beautiful.

Mai had never quite realized how close Madoka and Lin were.

And then there was Yasuhara, who acted as if nothing at all had changed. He was still as gleeful and tamely arrogant as ever – and that was just how Mai liked him.

This was just how she loved everyone.

This was still her home, and would forever be her home.

It was Naru who changed the most. He disappeared every morning outside for a week. Every afternoon around dinner he'd come back in, his slacks edged in dirt, a new cut or two on his hands. He seemed so at peace when he returned every day that Mai thought it best to not bother him about it.

It was only on the last day, when Mai sat in the library with her feet propped up on the couch, that anything surprising happened.

She probably should have guessed something was up when Naru walked into the library with his gaze dead set on her. Or when he slipped around the couch noiselessly.

She got the picture when she couldn't see anymore.

"Naru?" she asked, sitting upright. Mai moved to take off the blindfold, but Naru stopped her.

"Just come with me. There's something I want you to see."

Mai let him lead her out the library door, down two flights of stairs, and felt him place a coat over her shoulders before the cold hit. Why were they going outside? Mai felt a tinge of fear creep up her spine. But no, she had to trust him. This was the Naru who had the curse reversed, the Naru she had just saved, the Naru who had just confessed his love to her a week previously…

Naru slipped off the blindfold and let her see what he had been working all week.

Mai stared and immediately felt a lump form in her throat. Oh, my…

Eyes brimming with tears, Mai threw her arms around Naru.

"This… this is wonderful. They both would have loved this," she said thickly to his chest, rubbing the tears away before they fell.

The gravestones in front of them read:

_Arata Taniyama  
May 1857 – October 1911  
May he rest in peace_

_Gene Davis  
September 1890 – January 1907  
May he rest in peace_

Mai saw the smile pass over his face. He took her hand, and Mai readily grasped his in return. But he shook his head and pulled away. For a moment, Mai was hurt and confused. But something lay there in its place.

Two blooming red roses.

Mai knew what she was meant to do. She stepped forward gracefully, calmly, letting more tears slip down her cheeks. She laid each rose in front of the gravestone and bowed her head for a few moments of silence.

"Thank you so much, Naru."

Mai stood and felt him standing there behind her. His hands slipped around her waist and he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"I did it for them, not for you."

Mai laughed. He was still Naru, and she was still Mai. Nothing in the world could change that.

"Of course," Mai said, finally slipping her hand in his. "Madoka's waiting for us in the dining room. Earlier she said she was preparing a special dinner tonight."

"She can wait."

Mai figured that he just wanted a little more time with his brother. Mai started to step back, but he tightened his grip. She looked back at him with a question in her eyes. He let himself smile, and pulled her back onto the path.

"Why don't we go for a walk? We can take the long way around."

Naru waited for her answer. She watched his clear navy eyes, trying not to grin like a maniac at how drastically her life had transformed in a matter of days.

Mai nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that."

Naru wasn't really a Prince Charming. Not in the least. But Mai didn't really consider herself a Beauty, anyway. So she supposed they fit together quite nicely. Even though they weren't the perfect couple, not really meant to be in a fairy tale, they got their happily ever after.

Mai peeked behind her shoulder at the two broad gravestones, placed side by side. She took in a deep breath and turned back around, laying her head against Naru's arm.

This goodbye wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

_And I never thought I'd leave behind  
My childhood dreams but I don't mind  
I'm where and who I want to be  
No change of heart  
A change in me_

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it! Please leave a review if you enjoyed reading, or if you would like to see more – this is your last chance to do so!**

**Also, please watch for me around the Ghost Hunt fandom – I still have several ideas just as quirky as this one just itching to be written :) Thank you, everyone!**


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